Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken targeted the Centre and the Delhi Government for failing to protect the interest of the traders in the city, saying that due to the laxity of both the Governments, the sword of sealing is hanging over 8 lakh industrial establishments in the national Capital.
Maken also announced that the Delhi Congress will hold a demonstration outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on August 31 to protest against the illegal sealing of non-polluting industries being carried out in Delhi.
Maken said that according to the 6th Economic Census 2013, there are 8, 75,308 industrial establishments in Delhi out of which 1, 55,950 are manufacturing units. He cited amendments in the Master Plan, and expressed concern that the Centre and the Delhi government were not properly handling the issue and to protect the interest of the traders.
He said there was provision in the 'Master Plan' to give relief to non-polluting industries but still theses establishments are facing threat of being sealed. Maken said that according to the Master Plan 2021, Para 7.3 residential Group A and villages (abadi) A+AI have already been given permission to run industrial units so that sealing in these areas should be stopped. He said in the list of household industries, photo-state, cyclostyling, packing, wool knitting machine, etc are allowed to be functional but these units are also being sealed.
Maken said that in the present context, the meaning of household industries should be changed as from 5 to 11 workers and instead of 5 kv power, it should be changed to 11kv. He said that in March this year, he along with Subhash Chopra and Arvinder Singh lovely had met Chief Minister Arvinder Kejriwal and Satyendra Jain and raised this matter. They had promised to address the issue but nothing was done in this regards, , resulting in the present impasse, he said.
He further said that in Bawana and Narela industrial areas, 22,000 industrial plots were made available which should be made free-hold plots at the earliest. “Notices are being served on plot owners here who have either let out the plots, or sold them or have been kept vacant, or they have changed the nature of the industry. The DSIDC of the Delhi Government is sending notices to cancel the lease deed to owners of such plots,” he said.
Maken also demanded that those non-polluting industries which are operating before 1.8.1990 should be allowed to carry out their works. He said that on February 2, 2006 the Supreme Court had given permission for these establishments to function.