Accepting an affidavit filed by the New Delhi Muncipal Council (NDMC),the Delhi High Court has cleared the way for the conversion of the Gole Market building into a museum. The court also dismissed the pleas filed by the shopkeepers against their eviction. The shopkeepers had approached a division bench of the High Court against a single-bench order for eviction. In their plea,the shopkeepers said on March 30,2012,the division bench had observed that in case the building was to stay a market,then the shopkeepers,including the appellants,would be given preference. But in case,it was to be converted into a museum,then they were to be offered alternative shops or offices. The petitioners had argued that since the NDMC had not taken a decision on whether the heritage building would be converted into a museum or used as a commercial property,they should be allowed to retain the use of the property. The NDMC,however,filed an affidavit before the vacation bench of Justices Manmohan Singh and R V Easwar on June 5,stating that the civic body had no intention to develop Gole Market as a commercial property and intends to develop it as a museum. Accepting the affidavit,the court noted that the shopkeepers had signed undertakings before the bench,promising to vacate the building by June 30,and that no advantage would be derived by the petitioners by refusing to vacate the property.
