NEW DELHI: Scores of Delhi shop-owners in commercial establishments that have taken the brunt of the ongoing sealing drive are looking to shift their businesses to authorised places but are finding that rents have skyrocketed out of reach of their pockets.
The sealing drive is being conducted by civic bodies on the direction of a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee, which is cracking down on establishments using residential property for commercial purposes without paying conversion charges or those which have undertaken unauthorized construction.
With matters appearing deadlocked as of now, small shopkeepers, restaurateurs, marble vendors and coaching centre-owners are scrambling to earn their daily bread. Those who had businesses in Defence Colony, Hauz Khas, Mehrauli, Maurice Nagar and South Extension (Main Market) are looking for viable options in Malviya Nagar, Ansal Plaza, Rajouri Garden, Model Town and Kotla where property prices and rents have spiralled.
“Traders are being crushed here (Defence Colony), some establishments have been closed for nearly three months now. Staff members have quit those that are still open and earnings are low. Owners of shops that have been sealed completely are moving to other areas like Malviya Nagar,” said Rajendra Malik, a trader in Defence Colony.
The marble market in Mehrauli, which took the heat in the first phase of the sealing drive, is looking for a place to relocate, possibly in west Delhi.
“We are almost 50 marble merchants in Mehrauli market. Some have jointly planned to move out from here to the Raja Garden area. The move may affect our businesses but sealing will kill our businesses completely,” Vikas Kashyap, a marble merchant, said. “Here shops are not authorised because land belongs to agriculture. We will move to a place in west Delhi where we will get commercial space to run our business without hassles.”
Other marble merchants said such a move meant they would have to increase their rent budget by 60-100 per cent.
Some shop-owners in South Extension are also looking to re-locate to nearby places but are finding rents prohibitive. “I can’t figure out why my shop has been sealed. Since I have no option, I am moving my business to another rented place near South-Ex market. But I have to pay almost 40 per cent more than the average market rent,” Vimal Gupta, who lives in South Ex, said.
Restaurateurs in Hauz Khas are planning to move to Ansal Plaza by the dozen. “A trader who started out last year does not have any option but to move. The MCD is conducting the sealing drive without giving us a chance to present our case,” said Rahul Mehta, who runs a restaurant in Hauz Khas Market. At least 16 restaurants have recently opened in Ansal Plaza.