NEW DELHI: North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Tuesday sealed 45 tehbazari kiosks on Bank Street Road for alleged illegal extensions and asked them to shift to Ajmal Khan Road. The current location is planned to be utilised for constructing a multilevel parking lot.
An official said the vendors had earlier agreed to shift out and were allotted new sites on Ajmal Khan Road. The corporations had even marked spots for them. “However, even after agreeing to shift and taking over possession of the sites, the hawkers didn't move permanently and we had to take sealing action. Moreover, these were supposed to be 7x10 feet tehbazari kiosks, but over time they were concretised and many of them had made vertical extensions illegally,” said an official.
The vendors, however, claimed that the notices to vacate the kiosks were served by the civic body on November 20 and they were given just five days to shift to the new site.
“The officials gave reference to some high court order and stated that the area as well as a neighbouring school would be used for constructing a commercial space-cum-multilevel parking lot. We agreed to shift and asked for space in the upcoming commercial area, but our request was denied. Later, we found that the new site on Ajmal Khan Road was just a 3ft-wide footpath next to the boundary of a park,” said Jatinder Singh, a kiosk owner at Bhagwati Market.
Singh added, “No marking or construction had been done by the municipality. When we attempted to settle down, local politicians and other shopkeepers started objecting. Also, pipelines are laid below the pavement, so the utility companies also started objecting.”
Another kiosk owner said, “Our 10 feet wide shops were constructed in 1973 and allotted to refugees. Why will we shift to 3-feet kiosks.”
The kiosk owners approached the court in December and the corporation was ordered to settle the matter by February 24. “The civic body then sent us a letter to pay pending rent, but we have already paid it. Amid all this correspondence, our kiosks were sealed at 7am on Tuesday without giving us an opportunity to take out our stuff and cash,” said Singh.
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