PM assures BJP to consider suggestions on sealing drive

New Delhi, Nov 16 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today assured a BJP delegation led by Leader of the Opposition L K Advani that the Government would consider their suggestion to provide some relief to more than 400,000 traders facing closure of business under a Supreme Court order.

The delegation, which met the Prime Minister for almost 45 minutes, told him that there was panic among the traders and their families about their premises being sealed and the Government should take steps to save them.

It offered two suggestions--to bring a legislation to provide a one time amnesty and amend the Municipal Act to withdraw their sealing power, BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said.

The delegation comprised Mr Advani, Mr Malhotra, BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley, senior party leaders Subash Arya, Traders Association President Praveen Khandelwal and others. Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy were also present at the meeting.

Seeking the Prime Minister's intervention, the delegation pointed out that once the traders were given a one time amnesty it would be possible to draw up a law to check commercial activity in unauthorised construction in the capital.

It reminded the Urban Development Minister that he had assured the Parliament in the previous session that the Government had for the time being given a one-year moratorium on sealing and if necessary, it would also bring a legislation to provide relief to the traders.

Mr Malhotra said the Opposition had pointed out that the one year moratorium on sealing would not stand judicial scrutiny.

So it was necessary that the Government introduce a bill to amend the Delhi Master Plan to provide relief to the traders.

The Municipal Act should also be amended to take away its power of sealing as was the provision in the DDA Act.

The Prime Minister was also told that those responsible for unauthorised commercial activities should be fined or penalised but their shops should not be sealed, he added.

At this, the Prime Minister directed Mr Reddy to take steps in this regard. Mr Reddy said that the Ministry would consider their suggestions only after seeing what the Supreme Court would say on November 21, the next date of hearing.

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