NDMC Halts Khan Market Anti-Encroachment Drive After Traders Protest
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) launched an anti-encroachment drive at Khan Market on Monday, dismantling signages of several shops and restaurants and removing claddings and water motors installed near building boundaries. The municipal action was later called off after shop owners contacted NDMC officials and local representatives to raise objections.
According to reports, NDMC authorities termed the shop signages oversized and non-compliant with the Outdoor Advertisement Policy (OAP), 2017. The civic body further described the claddings and water motors as encroachments on public land. While NDMC maintained that the enforcement drive was carried out only after issuing prior notices to the shop owners, local traders disputed the claim, stating no warnings were given.
The sudden action drew sharp criticism from the Khan Market business community, who questioned the civic body's assessment of encroachments in the market area. Khan Market Traders' Association president Sanjeev Mehra stated that NDMC was misguided in its belief that massive encroachment existed in the commercial hub.
Mehra pointed out that the objections raised by the civic authorities were limited to small projections that protruded from the buildings. He noted that traders had repeatedly requested senior NDMC officials to examine the original papers handed over to shop owners at the time of allotment before determining whether any encroachment had occurred.
Mehra expressed disappointment over the sudden arrival of officials with a JCB, noting that Khan Market had maintained a record free of visible encroachments for the past 76 years. He described the municipal action as very sad and raised concerns over the lack of clarity regarding who authorized the operation.
In response to the drive, traders reached out to BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, who according to Mehra had no prior knowledge of the action. The association has since dispatched another letter to Swaraj, inviting her to visit Khan Market along with municipal officials after the Parliament session to review the situation, examine documents, and reach a fair decision.
