The Hindu : Front Page : Sealing squads target big fish in Delhi

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Sunday, Sep 17, 2006
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Sealing squads target big fish in Delhi

Staff Reporter

Commercial premises in upmarket colonies like Vasant Vihar among over 200 properties sealed

PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN

SEALED: Delhi Police personnel outside a television channel premises on Siri Fort Road during the sealing drive by Municipal Corporation of Delhi squads on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: Enlarging the ambit of its ongoing sealing drive against commercial establishments operating illegally from residential areas across the Capital, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Saturday carried out drives in A and B category colonies, targeting a large number of shops and businesses, including the offices of a Hindi news television channel and a US-based non-government organisation in South Delhi.

Acting on the directions of the Supreme Court, the civic body's squads reached the upmarket South Delhi colonies of Vasant Vihar, Greater Kailash, New Friends Colony and Siri Fort Road in the morning and started sealing offices and other commercial establishments operating from various floors of residential buildings other than the ground floor.

On Siri Fort Road, the offices of the Hindi TV news channel "S 1" operating from a four-storey building were sealed. When the sealing squad reached the spot, the TV channel's management and staff protested claiming that the building was located in a C Category colony and hence could not be sealed.

But the Municipal Corporation officials refused to budge and gave the management a couple of hours to remove their equipment after which the building was sealed.

Similarly on Poorvi Marg in Vasant Vihar, the MCD sealed half-a-dozen offices including that of a US-based NGO. Before sealing the office, the MCD staff checked with the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee if the aid agency enjoyed diplomatic immunity.

It was only after getting clearance from the Monitoring Committee that the NGO's office was sealed.

However, the sealing squad did not touch a UN office in the vicinity. During its drive in the area, the MCD squads mainly targeted offices operating either from the basement or other floors of buildings except the ground floor.

Similarly three properties were sealed for misuse in Greater Kailash-I market where traders protested against the move and termed the so-called efforts of the Centre to provide relief to traders a "sham".

At New Friends Colony, the civic body team removed illegal constructions at least three properties.

During the day, MCD squads targeted more than 200 properties across the city -- Karol Bagh Zone (58 properties), Rohini Zone (53), Shahdara-South Zone (24), City Zone and West Zone (15 each), Shahdara-North Zone (14), Civil Lines Zone (7), South Zone (6), Najafgarh Zone (5) and Central Zone (4).

Similarly, 25 properties were sealed for ongoing unauthorised constructions in Rohini Zone, South Zone, Shahdara-North Zone and West Zone.

The MCD teams mainly targeted hazardous businesses and shops misusing residential premises.

In Karol Bagh Zone, offices of chartered accountants and lawyers who were misusing residential premises were sealed.

A total of 38 properties were sealed on Faiz Road, 16 on Patel Road and four on Girdhar Lal Goswami Road. Similarly in Najafgarh Zone, five properties were sealed at Dabri, while demolition action was carried out at Trishul Colony and Kanganeri-Khirni Road.

In City Zone, eight shops were sealed on Sadar Thana Road and seven in New Darya Ganj, while in Shahdara-North Zone a major encroachment removal drive was carried out at Nand Nagri and Sewa Dham-Mandoli Road following orders from the zone's Court Commissioner.

Over 150 encroachments were also removed from public land at Ghonda, Kabir Nagar, New Usmanpur, Brahmpuri, Dayalpur and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Colony.

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