The Hindu : Front Page : Delhi sealing drive triggers protests, violence

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 06, 2006

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Front Page

Delhi sealing drive triggers protests, violence

Staff Reporter

MCD squads target 300 properties; several premises de-sealed after wrongful sealing

ANGER AND ANGUISH: Agitated shopkeepers and residents throng the Kotla Mubarakpur area in the Capital on Tuesday as MCD officials arrive to seal unauthorised commercial premises. - PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN.

NEW DELHI: Confusion prevailed once again during the ongoing sealing drive by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi against illegal commercial premises across the Capital on Tuesday as its squads wrongly sealed some properties in Malviya Nagar and later de-sealed them following protests by local residents and intervention by municipal councillors.

The civic body's squads were also at the receiving end in the Welcome area in East Delhi where angry traders hurled stones and shouted slogans against the Centre and the Delhi Government.

Despite a clarification by Municipal Commissioner A. K. Nigam, the MCD squad sealed a printing press in Malviya Nagar even as traders pleaded that it could not be targeted under the Supreme Court guidelines. It was only after the affected traders called up some councillors and spoke to senior MCD officials that the press was de-sealed.

Similarly during their unplanned drive at Rajinder Nagar in Karol Bagh Zone, the civic body's squads arbitrarily sealed many unused basements and shops. At several places, the affected residents pleaded that their businesses were not illegal, but the sealing squads went ahead with their drive nevertheless. "Despite having all the papers and documents about buildings in their areas, the local MCD officials are coming unprepared and carrying out the drive. Traders and residents are unnecessarily being harassed," complained a Rajinder Nagar resident.

At Welcome in Shahdara (North) Zone, the MCD squad had to suspend its sealing drive for a few hours after angry traders and residents hurled stones at MCD employees and police personnel. The police had to use mild force to disperse the crowd after which the drive was resumed. Similarly at Kotla Mubarakpur, Rajinder Nagar and Seemapuri angry residents shouted slogans protesting against the ongoing drive.

During the day, the MCD squads sealed about 300 illegal commercial establishments in seven of the 12 civic zones, including Mother's Pride Preparatory School in West Punjabi Bagh. More than 50 properties each were targeted in the Rohini, Civil Lines, Shahdara (North) and Najafgarh zones, while about 10 properties each were sealed in the South, Central and Karol Bagh Zones.

The areas covered by the sealing squads on Tuesday included Rajinder Nagar, Paschim Vihar, Vasant Kunj, Malviya Nagar, Hauz Rani, Shakti Vihar, Saraswati Vihar, Rohini, Sant Nagar, Wazirpur, Khirki Extension, Gautam Nagar, Nehru Nagar, Ashram, Kotla Mubarakpur, New Seema Puri, Dilshad Colony, Naveen Shahdara, Rohtash Nagar, Welcome, Bhajanpura, New Usmanpur, Mangolpuri and Kapashera.

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