The Delhi BJP on Friday demanded that Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal dissolve a high-power committee set up by the AAP government to grant licenses to local shopping complexes so that they can continue to operate.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said with the Delhi Development Authority waiving conversion charges for shops in local shopping complexes, a move that directly benefits 50,000 shopkeepers by shielding them from sealing, the committee had become redundant. “The shopkeepers have been demanding this waiver for long, which has been granted with the cooperation of the Centre... household industries have also been allowed a power connection of 11 kw in place of 5 kw earlier and now nine people can be employed in place of five,” Mr. Tiwari said at a press conference.
“But the Arvind Kejriwal-led government is a hindrance as a no objection certificate is required from its panel. There has been no meeting of this committee for a long time. The BJP demands that the L-G dissolve this panel,” he added. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said traders could get licenses online from the website of the civic bodies.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kejriwal said he hoped that the Centre gave the Delhi government the required go-ahead to commence the process of bestowing ownership rights to those residing in unauthorised colonies. “When it comes to this promise [of regularising unauthorised colonies], parties are used to making it before every election but they do nothing about it after the polls. The Delhi government is ready to ensure that the registries of those living in such colonies are provided to them within 15 days of the Centre giving us its go-ahead for the process,” he said.
