Seal those not under MPD 2021, says SC

NEW DELHI: Taking exception to MCD discontinuing sealing illegal commercial establishments in residential areas in the capital, the Supreme Court on Friday asked it to resume the drive against those premises not protected under MPD 2021. A bench comprising Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice L S Panta said “it needs no reiteration that the order dated February 12 will be carried out to the logical end”.

The apex court on February 12 had halted the sealing drive on 2,183 roads notified for mixed land use under the Master Plan for Delhi, 2021 but refused to stop the drive against those illegal premises not covered under the MPD 2021.

The court took into account the report of the apex-court appointed monitoring committee on sealing which said that MCD has stopped the sealing drive for the reasons best known to it.

The report which was perused by the court said that Delhi Development Authority was also not taking action against those who were unauthorisedly carrying out commercial activities in the residential areas.

The report, which was read by senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, said that DDA was not involving itself in the sealing drive on the ground that it has to be carried out by MCD.

Even the MCD counsel submitted before the bench that the corporation did not have the power to go ahead with the sealing drive in the DDA area. Taking into consideration the peculiar situation, the court asked both MCD and DDA to file its reply on the monitoring committee’s report and said that its February 12 order will remain operational.