With the traders in Delhi up in arms against the ongoing “sealing” drive, the Centre is working hard to find a way out to resolve the issue. On Wednesday, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) held a high-level meeting with all civic agencies to provide relief to the traders. The meeting was held on the direction from the Prime Ministers’ Office to resolve the traders’ issues.
The traders had observed a “bandh” in Delhi on Tuesday in protest against sealing drive despite payment of the conversion charges.
The Ministry has asked the civic agencies to consider waiving off the penalty in case of encroachment by shops on paying one-time parking charges and conversion charges along with registration before June 30, 2018.
The existing penalty is ten times of annual conversion charges for mixed use on such properties. The properties may be located on commercial notified roads, mixed use streets, pedestrians shopping streets, and also include places running professional activities as mentioned in the Master Plan of Delhi.
Currently, any delay on the payment of development charges for parking or mixed use charges of the relevant financial year is compoundable on payment of interest at 8 per cent annually.
The Ministry has directed all the civic agencies to finalise floor area ratio charges in the case of commercial activity in the basement subject to relevant provisions of building bylaws, structural safety and fire safety clearance.
The Ministry made it clear that the conversion charges already approved or lowered for Sarojini Nagar, Khan Market, Green Park Extension at the rate of Rs 22,274 per square meter for conversion from residential to commercial. The scheme is available till June 30, 2018 so sealing drive should be on hold till June 30.
The Ministry has suggested the Delhi Government to notify 351 roads, a proposal pending since May 7, 2007. This will cover all major markets and areas in the national capital.
The Ministry pointed out shop-cum-residence plots developed prior to 1962 in rehabilitation colonies or other residential areas are already allowed higher floor area ratio equivalent to floor area ratio permissible on residential plot. The same may be adopted in all other shops-cum-residence (pre and post 1962 colonies). The note said, “The plot holder of shop-cum-residence plot is also allowed in continue with original use i.e. shop cum residence plot and in such case there will be no insistence for levy of any conversion charges,”
The note added. “To provide relief and to minimise hardship and irreparable loss to the people of the national Capital against any punitive action by any agency in respect of the persons covered by the policies, the relief of unauthorised development and misuse be extended to all categories with cutoff date to June 1,2014 so that there remains no disparity in the entirety of the matter. The cutoff date for existence of unauthorised construction misuse to all categories of colonies had been fixed January 1, 2006. In the case of unauthorised colonies, villages abadi area including urban villages and their extensions, the cut-off date had been fixed February 8, 2007.”