The Hindu : New Delhi News : East Delhi school sealed

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Friday, Dec 01, 2006
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New Delhi

East Delhi school sealed

Staff Reporter

Was operating from illegally occupied government land

NEW DELHI: In a major sealing action, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Thursday targeted a prominent public school in East Delhi that was operating from an illegally occupied government land. Though the school administration managed to get a stay order from the Delhi High Court, the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee refused to stop the sealing exercise quoting the apex court orders.

Vanasthali Senior Secondary Public School had illegally come up by encroaching on a big plot of Delhi Development Authority at Madhu Vihar in Shahdara-South zone. Around 2,500 students are currently enrolled in the school that has classes till XII standard. Situated on the main road at Madhu Vihar, the school started operating about two decades ago and its management gradually built a three-storied building complex on the government land.

Following the Supreme Court directions that all encroachments on government land have to be removed by MCD, the Monitoring Committee on Wednesday had asked the civic body to seal the school. But when MCD squad reached the school, its management showed a stay order from the Delhi High Court, after which MCD team returned without carrying out sealing.

However, on Thursday the Monitoring Committee observed that the Supreme Court orders cannot be superseded by any other court and directed MCD to seal the school premises. The MCD team waited till evening as the school was functioning and it was only after all the students and staff members had left that the sealing action began. However, this action has put a big question mark on the future of a large number of students enrolled in the school, particularly those who are to appear in the forthcoming X and XII Board examinations.

In the same zone, sealing action also took place on Vikas Marg, Shakarpur Road and Pandav Nagar where several beauty saloons, boutiques, guesthouses and big showrooms were targeted. This area had seen large-scale violence during recent Delhi bandhs, but the drive remained peaceful mainly due to the presence of a large number of police and paramilitary personnel who accompanied MCD squads.

At least 72 units were targeted in these areas that included Hotel Shipra, VLCC beauty saloon, East Inn guest house, A&M Communication call centre, Skin and Shape beauty parlour, Shiva Motors, Reliance Web and Hero Honda showroom.

Sealing exercise was also carried out in Rohini zone where eight properties were sealed on Road No.41 from MCD zonal office to Wazirpur bus depot. Prominent properties targeted included Champa Lal Jewellers, Goel and Sons Jewellers, Punjabi Rasoi restaurant, Radhika Sarees, Zee Saree and Nikhara Designer Sarees. Similarly, in South zone, 18 illegal commercial units were sealed on Jhandu Singh Marg and between Arjun Nagar and Aurobindo Marg.

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