South Delhi Municipal Corporation seals 51 commercial units in Defense Colony

As many as 51 commercial units in the posh Defence Colony Market in south Delhi were sealed today for "not depositing" conversion charges as per provisions in the city's Master Plan 2021, the SDMC today said. In a statement, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation said, members of a Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee, Bhure Lal and K J Rao, were present during the sealing action. "Both the members today reached the Defence Colony at 11 AM and instructed for sealing the first floor and above situated commercial units in buildings, from 1 to 51, as none of them had deposited conversion charges," the SDMC said in the statement.

The action was taken pertaining to all floors except the ground-storey. "It may be recalled that the Defence Colony area was earlier known as shopping-cum-residential complex wherein ground floor was meant for commercial activities and first floor for residential purposes. "After coming into force of the Master Plan 2021, the market was termed as local shopping centre; (owners) of the first and second floors were allowed to open commercial units on one-time payment of conversion charges at the rate of Rs 89,000 per sqm. "It is understood that commercial units are being run in the South Extension, Green Park, Hauz Khas and Greater Kailash Markets," the civic body said. Most of the commercial units at first and second floor had not deposited conversion charges though the civic body was pressing hard to do so, it alleged. "A few units deposited just token conversion charges. The members of the (monitoring) committee today visited the Defence Colony market and called the Deputy Commissioner (Central Zone). The Committee instructed the Deputy Commissioner to immediately get the 51 units sealed," it added.

"The department faced resistance from the commercial units. The Committee requisitioned the police force and the action which was held up for two hours was completed with sealing of the 51 units," it added.