MCD orders banquet halls to shut shop

Acting on the Delhi High Court directions to close down banquet halls functioning in residential areas, the MCD today ordered around 200 such facilities in the Capital to shut shop within three days.

The civic body has issued "sealing notices" to those banquet halls operating in residential areas in violation of master plan Delhi and building bye-laws, an MCD spokesperson said here.

The Delhi High Court had last month ruled that "running of banquet halls are a perennial source of nuisance for residents, besides causing traffic congestion in the city, and they should go forthwith." The directions were given while dealing with a PIL complaining about the functioning of commercial farmhouses in the city.

The Bench observed that it was not only farmhouses but scores of banquet halls which had surfaced in residential areas illegally, causing severe hardships to the general public and asked the MCD to take immediate steps to close down such halls.

The MCD had last month issued an ultimatum to the owners of the banquet halls to shut down their facilities within three days in accordance with the high court orders.

It had made it clear that if its directions are not complied with it would go about sealing these places.