In a decision that would spell relief for many traders in the Capital, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Monday said there would be no sealing of shopping centres before June 30, the last date for payment of conversion charges.
The decision was announced at the meeting of the MCD Standing Committee on Monday after several councillors raised the issue of sealing. Additional Commissioner R K Srivastava said: “As the last date for payment of conversion charges is June 30, there is no question of sealing units before that.”
The Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee on sealing of unauthorised commercial establishments in the Capital had earlier given directions to the civic body to begin sealing of local shopping centres for not paying conversion charges from June 1 itself.
Most of such shopping centres are located in areas such as South Extension Part I and II, Defence Colony, Greater Kailash I and II, Lajpat Nagar, Rohini and Saket. Prior to the formulation of the Master Plan for Delhi 2021 (MPD-2021), only the ground floors in such areas could be used for commercial activities.
However, after the MPD-2021 the upper floors could also be used for commercial activities as they are being used presently after payment of conversion charges.
The new Standing Committee chairman Yogender Chandolia said: “The idea behind the decision is that we do not want to put additional burden of sealing on traders. Those wanting to pay conversion should be given time to do so. Accordingly a notice would be issued to them and the system of collecting the charges at the MCD zones should be streamlined.”
However, though the deadline has been extended confusion still prevails over the amount of conversion charges to be recovered from the traders.
“We will have to make clear things like the amount of conversion charge to be paid by shop owners in these centres as the Delhi Development Authority is yet to notify the amount,” an MCD official said.
