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Reports submitted on Delhi civic body revamp
By Indo Asian News Service,
Nov 22, 2006 - 5:15:13 AM
New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) Civic authorities in Delhi Tuesday sealed 121 illegal commercial establishments even as two committees set up by the central government to study the restructuring of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) submitted their reports.
The two committees set up to study the restructuring of MCD and multiplicity of institutions in Delhi submitted their reports to the Home Minister, Shivraj Patil here Tuesday.
The committee to study the issue of the MCD restructuring and suggest an appropriate model was headed by Omesh Saigal, former chief secretary of Delhi.
Terms of reference of the committee included the study of the previous reports submitted by the Balakrishnan Committee and the Virendra Prakash Committee on the issue of restructuring of MCD in the context of the current situation.
According to a home ministry statement, 'the reports will be examined and further necessary action will be taken'.
Meanwhile, civic authorities continued with their sealing drive against businesses operating from residential areas even as the Supreme Court refused to grant any immediate relief to the traders violating master plan norms.
The authorities sealed 121 commercial units including an automobile showroom and three guesthouses in west and south Delhi taking the total number of sealed units to 1,266.
'Of the 121 units sealed today, 101 units were along the Najafgarh-Nangloi Road under the Nazafgarh Zone including a major property in which Eicher, a prominent automobile company, was running its business,' an MCD official said.
In south zone, 20 units in Greater Kailash-I including Gautam Regency, Airtel Guest House and Ganga Azure Guest House were sealed.
The MCD officials also removed 55 structures including temporary shops, tin sheds and stores in Mangolpuri, northwest Delhi.
The apex court Tuesday adjourned for two days the hearing on the central government's application seeking relief for traders in the capital who had given an undertaking that they would voluntarily shut down their commercial establishments in residential areas.
'Since the Supreme Court has extended the sealing hearing till Nov 23, all the traders who have submitted a written petition assuring not to misuse their premises will not open shops. We will wait for the court order,' said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of the Confederation of All India Traders.
As per the court's direction, 18,305 traders submitted written intimations to the civic body between Nov 15 and 19 assuring they would not misuse their properties in residential areas.
The Supreme Court Nov 15 had given a reprieve to traders who had filed affidavits promising to stop the misuse of their premises, saying they need to give only a written intimation to the Monitoring Committee via MCD's zonal offices.
Traders, meanwhile, continued their relay hunger strike near Raj Ghat for the seventh day. They said the strike would go on till Wednesday - the day parliament's winter session commences.
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