The Hindu : New Delhi News : MCD’s ‘autocratic attitude’ angers traders

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Sunday, May 11, 2008
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New Delhi

MCD’s ‘autocratic attitude’ angers traders

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The trader community under the banner of Confederation of All-India Traders protested outside Town Hall, the headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, here on Saturday against the civic agency’s “autocratic attitude” over sealing. The traders, who chained themselves to symbolically protest against “adhuri azaadi” (incomplete freedom), shouted slogans against the MCD and alleged that their community had been meted out ‘barbaric’ treatment. They also charged that the civic body had been callous during the ongoing sealing operations and had locked up an old couple in a house in its haste to complete the process.

They further alleged that its power to seal had provided it with a chance to extort money from the traders and also encouraged corruption both in the corporation and the Delhi Development Authority. Addressing the traders, Confederation secretary-general Praveen Khandelwal said the politicians were turning a blind eye to the travails of the traders by citing the Supreme Court order and stopping short of doing anything for them.

Mr. Khandelwal said it was ironic that on election-eve all political parties compete with each other to woo the traders, but after elections scant attention is given to safeguard the genuine interest of the community. He said the traders were no longer taking the political parties for granted and cautioned that these parties would have to go through the litmus test in the forthcoming Delhi Assembly polls.

At the end of the protest, the traders demanded that the politicians who are in power must ensure that the principle of natural justice is upheld and the MCD is not allowed to violate the existing norms.

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