NEW DELHI: Shop owners near Ashok Nagar metro station are fearing loss of livelihood. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Development Authority are scheduled to undertake a sealing drive on Tuesday against properties or shops in that area, citing that commercial activities cannot be carried out in a residential area.
An official letter, accessed by this newspaper, was sent by the DDA to the DCP (East) on May 6, requesting for police assistance during the sealing drive near the New Ashok Nagar Metro Station road and in Village Chilla Saroda Bangar.
The letter further stated that the sealing programme directed by the monitoring committee will be carried out by the MCD as per the identification of properties by the DDA and under the supervision of the assistant director (LM East Zone), DDA, and the concerned AE, MCD.
Despite the official orders, there was no intimation provided to the shop owner or residents regarding the drive. “The information spread among us through word of mouth and was sudden,” said a shop owner in the area while adding, “We started shutting the shops with bricks from Sunday.”
The last two days in that area have captured an image which is different from usual. What appears to be usually a crowded neighbourhood market selling groceries, vegetables, meat and daily essentials resembled a construction zone instead.
Frontages of shops were being walled up, goods being shifted onto pavements, and bewildered residents wandering from one blocked shopfront to another trying to find basic necessities.
Sandeep, who has been running a grocery store in that area for several years now, said, “There are around 1,500-1,800 shops here, and we have been put in a difficult spot all of a sudden and are clueless about what to do.” Another shop owner, Vijender, said, “We don’t know what the civic authorities want; such actions hamper the livelihood of so many people.”
On the other hand, fear also persists among the vendor stalls around that area. Babita, who runs a small food stall in that lane, said that she will not open her stall on Tuesday. “If they are sealing the shops, how will they allow small vendors like us to function?” she added.Meanwhile, the Residents Welfare Association and local property owners have requested a stay on the proposed action, claiming that no prior notice was served and that the drive would affect the livelihoods of ‘thousands of dependents’.
The letter, a copy of which was accessed by the newspaper, was sent to the DDA, and to East Delhi MP Harsh Malhotra. The letter mentioned that ‘the mapping of the road has already been done for the denotification for change of land use, and it is under process, and the property owners are ready to pay the convenience charges.’
According to locals, many businesses on the stretch have allegedly been operating for years without commercial land-use permissions or trade-related clearances. Some shopkeepers fear hefty penalties and permanent sealing if found operational during inspection.
“We are just waiting for Tuesday’s drive and are hoping something good works out in our favour,” said Ali Hassan, who was running a scrap store in that area. “I have five children, and this is our livelihood that fills our stomachs. Any action on that will affect our sustenance,” he added.
Local BJP leader Vishal Kumar said that even though the action is justified, it has a direct impact on the livelihood of many families. “We have written to DDA and are expecting a positive response,” he said.
This sudden action also has an impact on East Delhi’s dense residential colonies, which are dependent on informal commercial infrastructure.
