Aam Aadmi Party MLAs demanded the Centre to bring an Ordinance to stop the ongoing sealing drive and also find out a solution to encroachments on the city roads.
Speaking over the sealing issue, Delhi Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday slammed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and BJP-led municipal corporations, saying encroachment is the main problem, but sealing drive is being carried to “only make money” and trouble the traders. “I request the central government to bring an ordinance to stop the sealing drive and also find out a solution to the encroachments on roads,” he said.
Jain also claimed that conversion charges, being taken from traders to provide relief from sealing, are just to “make money”. “They (Civic bodies) get an order of sealing 20 establishments, but they seal 100 establishments. Later out of 100, they de-seal 80 establishments to make money...” Jain claimed.
The minister said municipal corporations and the police have powers to remove encroachments. Earlier, AAP MLAs Rituraj Govind, Nitin Tyagi and Saurabh Bharadwaj initiated a short discussion on ‘problems being faced by Delhiites due to sealing of commercial properties and urgent need for suitable legislation by the Parliament to provide relief”.
Thousands of business establishments have been sealed in the city since last December by the Monitoring Committee appointed by the Supreme Court.