NEW DELHI: The Delhi Government on Saturday said that it had not asked public schools to close down during the three-day "Delhi bandh" from October 30 and asserted that all the Government schools would function normally. Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said all Government schools would remain open during the bandh but said a review of the situation would be carried out on Sunday to discuss the security of students and measures to be put in place for their safety.

Meanwhile, Retailers and Distributors Chemists Association announced its decision to support the three-day bandh against sealing and demolitions.

All chemist shops across the Capital will remain closed for three days in support of the bandh but emergency arrangements would be put in place to ensure that people get access to medicines and patients do not suffer, Retailers and Distributors Chemists' Association president Sandeep Nangia announced on Saturday. Nursing homes and medical fraternity has also decided to support the bandh.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee delegation led by its president Ram Babu Sharma met Union Minister for Urban Development Jaipal Reddy and his deputy, Ajay Maken, and impressed upon them the need to put an end to sealing of properties of traders.

The options

Mr. Sharma urged Mr. Reddy to consider the option of amending the Constitution and incorporating the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006, into Schedule IX of the Constitution to save the people of Delhi from sealing and being displaced. Mr. Sharma urged Mr. Reddy to ensure that sealing operations do not take place from November 1and relief was provided to traders.

Mr. Sharma also informed that an emergency meeting of the DPCC Executive Committee had been convened on Sunday to discuss the issue and what strategy the party and the Government should adopt during the upcoming session of the Delhi Assembly.

Confusion prevailed over the status of the schools during the Delhi bandh duration. One report suggested that the public schools had taken a decision to shut down during the bandh period. However, the Chairman of the National Progressive Schools' Conference, Usha Ram, refuted the claim and said no call had been issued to close public schools.

"All schools under our confederation would remain open though we might not ply the buses keeping in mind the bandh. We will go by the Government decision if any on the issue,'' she stated.

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