Anaj Mandi fire: Municipal probe delayed, sealing on

NEW DELHI: The municipal inquiry into the Anaj Mandi fire case has been delayed and the final report will now be submitted on Tuesday next week, a North Delhi Municipal Corporation official said on Friday.
The additional commissioner, who is overseeing the inquiry, said many staffers had also been summoned for the magisterial inquiry ordered by Delhi government. Duplication through parallel process was leading to the delay, the official added.
The additional commissioner said that the probe will analyse all the aspects, including engineering and licensing.
Meanwhile, the sealing drive against illegal factories operating from residential areas continued on Friday. A north corporation team in Haiderpur village was even roughed up by a mob when it went to serve notices. Shamsher Dahiya, the licensing inspector, sustained fractures on his fingers. “Around 3pm, we were surrounded by a crowd wielding sticks. My fingers were injured,” Dahiya added.
Other teams from the north corporation managed to seal six factories in Shastri Nagar and Ram Bag Road near Sadar Bazar.
South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Friday sealed 15 units, vacated 168 and issued notices to 11. Till Friday, the total number of factories issued notices were 4,290. In east Delhi, the civic body inspected 25 units and found 16 vacant. Out of rest, three were sealed and five properties had applied for licence under the household scheme.
The corporations are currently undertaking action against industrial units as per the MC Mehta versus Union of India case.