Bhopal Municipal Corporation Set To Shut Down 130 Properties Over Commercial Activities In Residential Areas

Bhopal's Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing to shut down approximately 130 properties that were found to be conducting commercial activities within residential areas. This decision comes after issuing 8,264 notices to establishments over the past year. Despite a Supreme Court order for sealing actions, the BMC will only proceed with shutdowns if these businesses continue their commercial operations after receiving final 24-hour notices.

The BMC plans to deploy 150 employees across six constituencies, with additional police support from 11 police stations. In the initial phase, their focus will be on hotels, restaurants, gyms, factories, godowns, pubs and bars, marriage halls, and showrooms operating within residential zones. Anand Soni, president of the 10 Number Traders Federation, expressed that traders are willing to voluntarily close their establishments but would protest if forced through sealing actions despite their compliance.

The BMC had reported that nearly 100 establishments had been closed, although only two were actually sealed, leading to confusion regarding the terminology used. The building permission department of the BMC has now instructed officials to use the term "shut down" instead of "seal" to avoid such discrepancies. Residents have raised concerns about the corporation potentially counting voluntary closures as enforcement actions in future compliance reports.

According to BMC deputy commissioner Bhuvan Gupta, businesses were initially given a 10-day window to rectify their violations. Those who failed to comply have now been issued 24-hour notices, with follow-up actions contingent on their continued commercial activities. The BMC emphasized that operators have three opportunities to address violations before facing shutdowns.