The Hindu : Front Page : Stage set for showdown as Supreme Court deadline expires

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2006

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Front Page

Stage set for showdown as Supreme Court deadline expires

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Capital is all set to witness a major showdown between the local traders and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi from this Wednesday.

The March 28 deadline for filing of affidavits by those who are operating illegal commercial establishments in residential areas expired with only 1,694 traders filing affidavits with the civic body in compliance of Supreme Court orders that had allowed exemption from sealing to such people up to June 30. In all, about 5-lakh commercial units now face sealing under the Supreme Court orders.

The majority of the traders did not avail of the exemption because they wanted the suspense over the issue to end quickly. ``

It was fear among the traders that kept them back from filing the affidavits. No one wanted to sign his or her own death warrant.

We thought if the matter had not been resolved all these months what difference would another three months make. We wanted the matter to be decided once and for all,'' said Confederation of All-India Traders secretary-general Praveen Khandelwal.

Mr. Khandelwal, whose organisation has been spearheading the ongoing agitation, said the traders were of the view that MCD had been responsible for the confusion and chaos all through and even now it would be wielding the stick and the hammer.

``We have decided to start an indefinite agitation over the shop sealing issue. First we will watch how MCD acts on the first day of sealing on Wednesday and then we will decide the future course of action.''

Stating that the atmosphere was of ``utter resentment, anger and anxiety'' among the traders and their families, Mr. Khandelwal said: ``We do not want to prolong our agony. We are tired of explaining the situation to our families day after day. The assurances keep coming from different quarters but nothing concrete is happening. So we just want the suspense to end.''

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