The Hindu : New Delhi News : Monitoring committee offers no relief to traders from sealing

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Wednesday, Oct 25, 2006
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New Delhi

Monitoring committee offers no relief to traders from sealing

Staff Reporter

BJP `Jan Adalat' today; traders' body threatens to intensify agitation

NEW DELHI: Even as political parties in the Capital scurry to outdo each other and project themselves as protectors of traders' interests, the prospects of the sealing exercise, scheduled to begin on November 1, being halted look remote with the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee offering no relief to the 45,000-odd traders who face the axe.

The Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Union Minister Shivraj Patil had last week asked the traders to approach the Monitoring Committee to get relief from sealing.

Washing its hands of any responsibility, the GoM had expressed its helplessness to do anything substantial for the traders and it had even advised certain elected representatives of the ruling Congress who had met Mr. Patil and other senior Congress leaders to impress upon the traders to allow the rule of law to prevail.

"We had met the Monitoring Committee headed by Bhure Lal and it clearly stated that it could not provide any relief from sealing to the 45,000-odd traders who had filed affidavits to close down their premises on account of misuse. They pleaded their helplessness to do anything beyond the relief provided by the Supreme Court in its order recently. It is a very serious situation and we are meeting on October 27 to decide our future course of action. If things do not work in favour of the traders or something concrete does not emerge from the Government's side then we will be forced to intensify our agitation and even call for a Delhi bandh," said Confederation of Association of Indian Traders (CAIT) general secretary Praveen Khandelwal.

On the other hand, former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Goel has decided to hold a "Jan Adalat" of traders on Wednesday to seek their views on sealing and other related issues.

The "Jan Adalat" would be held at the BJP headquarters on Ashok Road and Mr. Goel would further forward the views submitted by the traders to the Monitoring Committee in order to seek relief.

Opposing the sealing of premises of the 45,000-odd traders, Mr. Goel said the Union Government should either put the Delhi Special Laws (Amendment) Act, 2006, in Schedule IX of the Constitution or come out with a concrete plan to put a permanent end to the present phase of sealing and demolitions in the Capital.

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