Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 9 (IANS) A day after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) sealed seven commercial premises at a Delhi Metro station for illegal construction, the Delhi High Court Wednesday declined to restrain the civic agency from taking action.
Filing an urgent application, the Metro said that the action taken by the MCD at Inderlok station was illegal as the matter related to unauthorised construction was pending before the Delhi government.

A vacation bench of Justice Manmohan Singh, however, declined to restrain the MCD from taking any action and posted the matter for hearing July 1.

Counsel for Metro stated that the sealing was in complete violation of both administrative and judicial instructions in this regard and the premises should be de-sealed.

On Tuesday, the MCD had sealed commercial premises at about 59 points which included outlets of Comesum, McDonald’s, Raymond, Big Bazaar and an ATM of Punjab National Bank.

Counsel for MCD said that the Metro had constructed these commercial premises without taking sanction for their building plans, which is a necessity even if it had prior approval to carry out the commercial activity within the premises.

The MCD also argued that the Metro is not abiding by the building by-laws, so the action of sealing the commercial establishments is legal.

The court directed the MCD to file its response to the allegations of the Metro by the next date of hearing.

The civic agency also made it clear that it has not touched the operational area of the Metro and no services were curtailed because of the sealing drive.

Meanwhile, the Metro contended that they have been given the mandate to carry out property development activities as an alternative source of revenue so that its fares can be kept at subsidized levels.