More shops sealed by SDMC at Janakpuri

The sealing drive against garment shops, stitching units and godowns at Chanakya Place market in Janakpuri, continued on Saturday. At least 12 such units were padlocked by a team of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) officials, accompanied by the police.

Political leaders from the SDMC said the action was taken on the Delhi Chief Secretary’s instructions as per the National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders. “The green court has asked all such shops, operating out of non-conforming areas as per the Master Plan of Delhi 2021, to be shut,” Kailash Sankla, SDMC’s Chairman of the West Zone, said. “We tried to protect these shops by bringing the ‘Household Industries’ scheme. We even said that those who have simply applied for it by filling up the forms, will be protected from our side, but NGT orders have to be followed.”

At least 25 such stitching units were sealed on Wednesday and Thursday as well and power connections cut off, traders said.

A unit owner at Chanakya Place market, Chand Mohammad said, “They are not even serving sealing notices or giving us time to change our electricity meters from say 18 KW to the permissible 11 KW. This is unfair and will lead to more unemployment.

As per the SDMC’s ‘Household Industries’ scheme, a unit which uses five kilowatt electricity and employs five workers maximum can be run out of any sanctioned floor in a rural or urban area of the city. Few other conditions apply such as the owner must be residing there.

A total 112 types of household industries are allowed in the city that includes agarbatti-making, medicines other than allopathic, electronic items, sewing machine, typewriter, aata chakki, biscuit, candles, sweets and toys manufacturing, among others. Another nine type of household industries are allowed in village area that includes plaster of Paris, clay products and wood-carving.