Asked our staff not to take part in sealing drives, says south corporation mayor
He said he will write to the Delhi government chief secretary Vijay Kumar Dev, conveying his decision to not send staff for sealing drives anymore.
delhi Updated: Apr 14, 2019 05:34 ISTSouth Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Narendra Chawla has asked officials on Saturday not to participate in sealing drives anymore.
Dissociating himself from Saturday’s sealing drive at the Mayapuri Industrial area Phase-2, during which 14 police personnel and government officials were injured, Chawla said, “I have asked the commissioner and officials to not participate in sealing drives until further notice.”
“We are not in favour of such action being taken during a festive time like Baisakhi (April 14). At a time when the model code of conduct is in place for the Lok Sabha elections, such an exercise, which can affect the political mood, should not have happened,” Chawla said.
He said he will write to the Delhi government chief secretary Vijay Kumar Dev, conveying his decision to not send staff for sealing drives anymore.
“We were never supposed to be a part of this exercise. The National Green Tribunal (NGT), in its April 12 order, had slammed the Delhi government for not checking pollution caused by the automobile scrapping units of Mayapuri. The NGT bench had asked Dev and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee member secretary SM Ali to respond as to why they should not be jailed,” Chawla said.
“The subdivisional magistrate unnecessarily involved us in the drive and now we are bearing the brunt of public ire. Why would people vote for BJP if we look insensitive to them? Even the AAP is blaming us for all recent developments when they are responsible for it,” he said.
The sealing drive should rather have been carried out in phases and proper notices should have been given to the factory owners before sealing their premises, Chawla said.
First Published: Apr 14, 2019 05:34 IST