Sealing drive by JMC-H three days before HC hearing sparks protests

Jaipur: Three days before the scheduled hearing of a case in Rajasthan High Court on the illegality of certain commercial properties in Walled City, Jaipur Municipal Corporation - Heritage (JMC-H) conducted a drive and sealed 90 commercial establishments there Friday morning. Strong protests by traders and residents in the afternoon prompted Mayor Kusum Yadav to assure no more sealing till the court delivers its verdict on the matter.
The traders kept their shops shut and staged a demonstration to protest the sealing drive. With the 90 shops sealed Friday, the total number of sealed properties so far rose to over 900. Some of the prominent buildings sealed Friday included Sharma Bhawan, Rishi Fatehpuria's building, Hari Agarwal's property, Makiram Ji Ki Kothi, and Jindal Fashion.
The traders condemned the sealing drive, claiming they possessed all the necessary legal ownership documents. Some of them also said they had obtained a stay order from the high court. They also said they have been paying property taxes regularly. "If these buildings were illegal, why was tax collected from us all these years?" one of them asked.
"With the matter scheduled to be heard in the high court on April 7, what was the urgency for the corporation to carry out this action now? More than 90 shops were sealed today, and it would leave hundreds without livelihoods," said Pawan Kanungo, vice-president of Parkota Vikas Sangharsh Samiti.
Garima Tak, a resident of Sharma Bhawan, said her residence was spared, but 20 to 30 shops located in the building were sealed. "We have been living in this building for over 70 years and have all the legal paperwork. How can it suddenly be declared illegal?" she asked.
The sealing operation by JMC-H started as early as 6am. The traders kept their shops at Dada Market and Johari Bazaar shut from 10:30am and gathered at Badi Chaupar to stage a sit-in by 12 noon. Hundreds of residents also participated in the protest.
As tensions rose, JMC-H mayor Kusum Yadav arrived at the protest site around 2pm and assured the traders that no further sealing would take place till the HC delivers its verdict on the matter.
The protest by the traders led to the closure of traffic on the road from Ramganj to Badi Chaupar. Traffic had to be diverted towards Sanganeri Gate, and security was heightened in the area, with barricades set up at several spots.