BJP's MCD sealing shops of COVID-hit traders, demanding Rs 2 lakh for unsealing: AAP

This case is from the Sonia Vihar area of Karawal Nagar where NGT had constituted a committee of the MCD, the Delhi Pollution Board, and the police to conduct an inquiry and seal the shops causing pollution.

NEW DELHI: Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Durgesh Pathak issued a statement on Monday saying that BJP’s MCD has sealed shops of several corona-hit traders and has canceled trade licences. The BJP has demanded Rs 2 lakh per unit from them to remove the seal. This case is from the Sonia Vihar area of Karawal Nagar where NGT had constituted a committee of the MCD, the Delhi Pollution Board, and the police to conduct an inquiry and seal the shops causing pollution. After investigation, out of about 200 units, 5 polluting units were sealed. BJP leaders then became greedy and canceled the trade licenses of several traders under the pretext of land disputes as its reason. Durgesh Pathak asked, "If there was a land dispute, why did the BJP validate their trade licenses in the first place?" Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak said, "In this period of Corona, many families were destroyed, many people lost all their assets, and many people's businesses came to a standstill. There is probably no government in the world that is not trying to get its citizens out of this calamity. By giving a variety of discounts, by giving a variety of facilities, people are trying to get the economy and trade back on track. But it is Delhi’s misfortune, that here the biggest problem is the BJP- ruled MCD. On the one hand, there is the Delhi Government and various other governments that want to bring the economy and trade up. On the other hand, the BJP- ruled MCD is engaged in destroying the traders by increasing the trade license fees, commercial taxes, and professional taxes. Still, the BJP did not stop here, it is now busy sealing businesses." He said, "Today I will tell you a sad story and you should listen to it and decide what to do about it. This story from my own constituency, Karawal Nagar. There is a small area called Sonia Vihar where some people run the business of junk godowns together. People have been doing business there for many years. Some other people complained to the NGT that perhaps these people are causing pollution. The NGT constituted a committee of the MCD, the Delhi Pollution Board, and the Delhi police and asked them to investigate the matter. There were about 200 units in that area. The NGT asked them to check these units for pollution and also ordered them to immediately seal the units if a pollution case is found."