Sheila Dikshit writes to PM Modi over sealing; expresses concern

New Delhi: Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern over the impact of the sealing drive on the traders in the national capital and suggested that legalities for mixed land use be notified.

“A similar situation was faced in the year 2006 when I was the chief minister of Delhi. At the request of my government, the then Central government issued an ordinance to save the properties,” the senior Congress leader said in her letter.

“2,183 roads were notified to save properties practising business and trade. In the same order, basements were allowed to be used by professionals to ensure continuity of their profession. Sadly, properties are being sealed even in the notified areas,” she said.

Ms Dikshit’s letter to the Prime Minister comes after affected traders and citizens met her, expressing their distress. The former chief minister claimed BJP had promised, in its 2017 MCD manifesto, that once convergence charges were paid, sealing would not take place for such properties and they would be regularised. “But now I am told that even those who have paid the convergence charges are being sealed. I suggest that the urban development ministry notify the legality of mixed land use and a meeting of all stakeholders and political representatives be called to resolve the issue,” she said. Following the order by a Supreme Court appointed monitoring committee several commercial establishments in the national capital have been sealed by the BJP-ruled civic bodies for failing to deposit conversion charges according to the provisions of the master plan.