The sealing of 8-10 shops by the GDA on Saturday amidst the ongoing protest by the shopkeepers forced vyapar mandal to stay away from the planned meeting.
The tripartite meeting that was likely to convene between the GDA, Federation of Apartment Owners Association (FedAOA) and Indirapuram Vyapar Mandal is hanging fire due to the sealing of 8-10 shops on Saturday amidst huge protest by the shopkeepers. MLA, Sahibabad, Sunil Sharma, tried to convene the meeting between them.
Sharma pacified the shopkeepers angry with the sealing, stating a meeting would be held between the GDA, Federation of Apartments Owners Association and their trade body on Sunday to arrive on a solution of this contentious issue.
“Koshish hai ki beech ka rasta nikal jaaye (sic)” said Sunil Sharma.
"Basically, the issue is enormous traffic led by the encroachment of the shops. If the traders leave the encroached area, then I think GDA won't seal their shops," he added.
However, the sealing drive, which was carried out on Saturday, made the mandal change their mind over the meeting.
“This is not acceptable, the meeting and sealing cannot go hand in hand,” said Omveer Yadav, president of the Indirapuram Vyapar Mandal.
Besides, the vyapar mandal is planning to ask the GDA for an alternative market to compensate the loss they would incur due to sealing. They are even contemplating to ask the state government to implement the provision of conversion where one can use it as residential as well as commercial also.
Experts say the conversion is not possible because even Delhi, which has taken this provision as per Masterplan 2021, do not allow shops such as automobile repair, welding, printing, dying & varnishing for conversion.
A K Singh, enforcement chief of the GDA in Indirapuram said the shops sealed by the authority are mostly of such nature.
However, the meeting would have resulted in discussions on the prospects of a separate market and the conversion as the GDA was ready to listen and discuss all the possibilities.
Meanwhile, the shopkeepers continued their protest against the GDA on Saturday as well and said they would continue till the authority stops the sealing drive.
The GDA, in the last two days, sealed over 36 shops in Niti Khand and Abhay Khand of Indirapuram.
