Pay Rs 22,000 to deseal shop, SDMC tells traders

MCD seals shops at defence colony. (File)

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Tuesday asked traders to pay Rs 22,000, and not Rs 89,000, to deseal their shops. Leader of the House Shikha Rai said the civic body has given shop owners a week’s time to pay the conversion charge. Till then there would be no sealing, she said, adding that they might extend the deadline to March 31 after discussing it in the next House meeting South corporation Mayor Kamaljeet Sehrawat said she will visit Defence Colony Wednesday and request the traders’ association to pay Rs 22,000 conversion charge and also ask the Urban Development ministry to notify conversion charge at Rs 22,000. SDMC had Friday sealed about 50 shops and restaurants for not paying the charge for converting residential complexes into commercial ones.

Rajender Malik, RWA president Defence Colony market, said, “We don’t have a problem in paying but the papers we have clearly show that it is a commercial property. So why should we pay conversion charges?” A meeting between SDMC officials and AAP leaders was held on Tuesday, in which the AAP demanded an immediate halting of the sealing drive in Delhi.