Ajmer development body seals 39 illegal shops

AJMER: In a major crackdown on illegal constructions, the Ajmer Development Authority sealed 39 shops along Pushkar Road and near Anasagar Lake on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Ajmer Municipal Corporation took action against a hotel and an under-construction building in the Delhi Gate area. AMC had also demolished encroachments on Kachari Road last Sunday.

With a heavy police presence, Ajmer Development Authority (ADA) team arrived at Pushkar Road in the early hours, identifying illegally constructed shops near the Seven Wonders Replica Garden. These shops, including restaurants, marriage gardens, and liquor stores, were sealed for violating construction regulations.

ADA deputy commissioner Bharat Gujjar said the shops were built without proper land use conversion or approved maps. Seizure notices were posted on the properties.

The operation, which began at 6 a.m. and continued until 10 a.m., met with protests from shopkeepers, who argued that the Seven Wonders Replica, built under the Smart City initiative, is also illegal and violates National Green Tribunal orders.

"Why not remove the Seven Wonders replica, which was also constructed on agricultural land and within the Anasagar Lake wetland?" a shopkeeper questioned.

In a parallel action, the Ajmer Municipal Corporation (AMC) sealed a hotel in Pannigram Chowk near Delhi Gate, where the owner had illegally constructed five additional floors on a residential map and was using the building for commercial purposes. Another under-construction building in the same area, approved for only two floors but built up to five, was also sealed.

Officials confirmed that the crackdown on illegal constructions will continue as part of efforts to widen roads and maintain the city's cleanliness.