MCD additional commissioner (engineering) Naresh Kumar today announced in the standing committee meeting that the civic body will begin the survey process soon.

This comes as a blow to shopkeepers along commercial stretches like South Extension, Lajpat Nagar, Paschim Vihar and other stretches that are exempted from sealing following the notification of the new masterplan.

“The SC-appointed monitoring committee had informed the apex court in the last hearing that they were not happy with the way these stretches were notified and that many roads did not meet the parameters that were laid down. So we will carry out another survey to verify the stretches notified,” Kumar said.

The 2,183 stretches were first notified by the Urban Development Ministry in September 2006 to exempt shopkeepers from the sealing drive ordered by the Supreme court against commercial establishments functioning illegally from residential areas.

As per the parameters set by the ministry, residential stretches that were commercialised beyond 70 per cent were declared commercial and those that were up to 45 per cent commercial were declared as mixed land use stretches. Shopkeepers along these stretches have to pay conversion charges by March 2008 as development charges for providing adequate parking and electricity facilities.

Kumar said the 355 roads declared for mixed land use following the notification will also be re-surveyed for verification.

“The final hearing on the masterplan has been fixed for November 13 and 14. We will forward the results to the apex court then,” Kumar said.