MP govt seeking ‘middle path’ to resolve Bhopal sealing row: Kailash Vijayvargiya
Bhopal, Sep 3 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh government has sent senior officials to Delhi to consult senior advocates on the ongoing sealing of commercial establishments in residential areas of Bhopal, Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said on Thursday.
The government is seeking a “middle path” that would ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions while protecting traders and residents from financial losses caused by the sealing drive, he said, talking to the media in Bhopal.
The move comes amid growing resentment among traders following the resumption of the sealing exercise by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the last couple of weeks.
“Senior advocates are being consulted so that the government can effectively present its case before the Supreme Court and find a middle path, one that protects the residents of Bhopal who are facing losses. We are fully confident that a solution will certainly be found,” Vijayvargiya said.
The BMC has been taking action against commercial establishments operating from areas earmarked for residential use, following directions of the Supreme Court concerning violations of land-use norms.
The action has triggered protests by traders and business organisations, which have raised concerns over the impact of the drive on businesses and livelihoods. The state government had earlier sought to intervene in the matter and asked the civic body to suspend the sealing exercise. It also constituted a committee to examine the issue.
However, the Supreme Court subsequently put the government’s intervention on hold and directed the authorities to comply with its earlier orders. The BMC then resumed the sealing drive in different parts of Bhopal.
Traders have argued that several establishments have been operating in the affected areas for years and that immediate sealing could cause substantial financial losses. They have sought a mechanism to accommodate existing commercial activities through changes in land-use regulations.
The dispute has also brought the long-pending Bhopal Master Plan into focus.
Vijayvargiya said discussions on the Master Plan were underway and a decision would be taken soon.
A revised planning framework could determine how commercial activities are regulated in areas currently designated for residential use.
Vijayvargiya said the government was aware of the resentment among people affected by the drive but maintained that the sealing-related issue was specific to Bhopal.
“There is some resentment and protest among the people of Bhopal. However, the government is persistently trying to find a resolution,” he said.
The matter remains before the Supreme Court, with the next hearing scheduled for September 15.
–IANS
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