Traders in Delhi seek land-use clarity from housing minister

The Confederation of All India Traders has written to urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri to re-designate the commercial, mixed land use and residential areas in Delhi for clarity on their status. CAIT wrote to Puri demanding that areas of warehouses and go downs be specified, besides making a final policy for relocating various markets. The traders’ body argued that despite being commercial areas for over a century, special areas like Chandni Chowk and Sadar Bazar still face the prospect of sealing due to the ambiguity in their status. CAIT secretary general Praveen Khandelwal said, “Because of confusion, various areas of Delhi are facing a threat of sealing on the pretext of non-clarity of their status. The monitoring committee is hell-bent on sealing the shops. It is leading to various economic problems which will have an adverse impact on the development and economy of Delhi.” Khandelwal said, “Since Delhi’s character has changed considerably in the last 70 years, there’s a need to make a clear demarcation of commercial areas, mixed land use areas and residential areas along with commercial activities allowed in residential areas. ” CAIT, in its letter, argues that “Delhi is the largest distribution centre of trade in the country but it is astonishing that under the master plan, godowns and warehouses are not allowed in Delhi. If storage of goods will not be allowed then how can the distributive character of Delhi trade be maintained?”