Centre to amend master plan but no immediate relief from sealing until DDA notifies changes

The amendments to the Delhi Master Plan 2021, announced by the Centre on Wednesday, will not provide any immediate relief to the traders from sealing.

The changes announced by the Union urban affairs ministry are expected to be notified by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in its meeting scheduled for February 2. However, the MCD officials clarified that there was no mention of the suspension of the sealing drive.

“There is no mention of the suspension of sealing drive in commercial markets. The traders will get relief only when the DDA notifies the Centre’s proposals. Once notified, the traders will be able to use the upper floor and basements legally after paying conversion or use conversion charges,” a municipal official said.

The Centre on Wednesday recommended that the local shopping complexes (LSCs) should be allowed increased floor area ratio (FAR) on par with other markets, regularising commercial activity in basements and reducing conversion penalties in residential areas that are used for running businesses.

As per the Master Plan of Delhi, the permissible FAR for LSCs constructed after 1962 is 180. However, the LSC shop owners were demanding that it should be increased to 300. Sealing started in Delhi on December 22 by municipal corporations on the direction of Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee.

However, the premises which have been sealed so far will not be de-sealed until the Supreme Court steps in. “We were appointed by the apex court and taking action on its directions. We have submitted the sealing report to the court. If the court ask us to de-seal the properties, we will do it,” said member of the monitoring committee, requesting anonymity, since he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The monitoring committee has already uploaded the documents related to sealing on its website.

As per MCD officials, since the ministry has moved the proposals to DDA, it will not take more than two weeks to notify them. “In extraordinary circumstances, they are not required to seek approval from Parliament, and can notify the proposals after inviting suggestions from the public,” said the official.

However, traders running commercial activities on floors other than the ground floor on roads notified for mixed land use, and those who have not paid one time parking charges or conversion or use conversion charges will continue to face action.

It will also not save those who have not registered their trades properly or running business illegally.

On Wednesday, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation sealed 24 units at Pitampura, Kingsway camp and Qutub Road in Sadar Paharganj area. No sealing took place in south Delhi.