Delhi Sealing : De-Sealing of 1500 unauthorised colonies in Delhi
Armed with a government notification, Delhi’s civic authorities will start de-sealing of illegal properties from Wednesday. The Supreme Court, which had directed the sealing of these properties, was Tuesday apprised of the government decree.”
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Tuesday filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court, apprising it of the central government’s notification of Jan 30.
The de-sealing would start from Wednesday. Tuesday, MCD filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, where MCD clarified that MCD would go by the decree of the government that put all the sealing exercise in abeyance.
This move will benefit over 3,000 properties that were sealed for violating the Delhi Master Plan 2021. Over 1,500 unauthorised colonies in the capital will also get some respite. The Supreme Court had asked civic authorities last year to take action against these properties.
De-sealing will start from Wednesday though a three-member monitoring committee set up by the Supreme Court was still studying the notification.
Notwithstanding any judgement, decree, or order of court, steps shall be taken by the local authority, including de-sealing, to maintain status quo as on Jan 1, 2006, in respect of encroachment or unauthorised development.
While the ruling Congress has hailed the notification, city Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have termed the initiative as mere eyewash. Meanwhile, the Delhi Pradesh Citizen Council, an NGO, Tuesday filed a petition before the Supreme Court urging it to declare the notification as “unconstitutional and illegal”.
In February 2006, the MCD started sealing commercial establishments in residential colonies, only to end the drive in May after the central government introduced a bill suspending sealing. The Bill, however, did not go down well with the Supreme Court, which, in August 2006, termed the law invalid and ordered the sealing to continue. As traders under the banner of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) launched violent protests, the apex court gave relief to them by putting off sealing till Oct 31, 2006.
In November 2006, the government prepared a new master plan for Delhi, allowing mixed land use, according to which shops on over 2,200 roads could function. The sealing of shops on roads not mentioned in the master plan list started again on March 28, 2007.