SC offers ray of hope on sealing issue, 432 shops sealed on day 22

New Delhi, Apr 28 (UNI) The Supreme Court, offering a ray of hope on the sealing issue, today directed the Union Urban Development Ministry to approach the court-appointed monitoring committee to identify roads in 9 zones without a zonal plan, to explore possibility of extending some relief to the residents regarding mixed land use.

Meanwhile, the sealing operation by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi continued with 432 shops sealed on the 22nd day.

A Supreme court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Y K Sabharwal and Mr Justice C K Thakkar, also requested the monitoring committee to file its report by May 4, 2006 alongwith suggestions on whether some relief can be given to the residents of these zones as per the Delhi master plan under which, 25 per cent of the area on ground floor can be put to commercial use.

Solicitor General G E Vahanvati, appearing for the Central government, had pleaded that of the 15 zones in Delhi, only six had zonal plans while nine others, including Rohini zone which had many 58 by 80 ft wide roads, had no zonal plan at all.

Mr Vahanvati pleaded that there were 140 roads falling in zones without zonal plans and the residents of these areas should not be made to suffer for failure of the authorities.

The court, however, made it clear that today's order shall not be construed as a grant of stay against the ongoing sealing process and the same shall go on as per its orders dated February 16, 2006.

The court has adjourned till May 5, 2006, the hearing of the Centre's application seeking six months' moratorium against the ongoing sealing process of commercial establishments operating from residential areas in Delhi, to identify the areas where mixed land use can be permitted .

With the court not granting a stay against the ongoing sealing process, the sealing operation by the MCD continued as usual with 432 shops being put to seal today. At the same time, 89 shops were sealed between 1700 hours and 2000 hours yesterday.

The MCD also desealed 287 shops today while 63 shops were desealed between 1700 hours to 2000 hours yesterday.

With today's sealing a total of 8700 shops in the residential areas have been sealed since the operation began on March 29.

Sealing action has already been completed in the city area.

With the sealing operation continuing, protests by the BJP as well as the Congress continued.

In a statement issued here, Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan reiterated his call to the Centre to frame a law to save shops and businesses of people in the capital from sealing and demolition.

He also called for the dissolution of the MCD saying that after the it had been held to be a corrupt institution, there was no justification for its continuation.

The Congress leaders also continued with their protests.

Congress MLA from Kalkaji Subhash Chopra, along with 500 others, courted arrest in Kalkaji in protest against sealing of shops in their area.

Meanwhile, the relay hunger strike by Congress leaders against the sealing drive entered the 15th day today with former Delhi Minister Narendra Nath sitting on a hunger strike at Shalimar Bagh.

Tomorrow, Vishwas Nagar councillors will sit on a relay hunger strike at Preet Vihar.

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