Monitoring Committee to submit report by tomorrow

New Delhi, Nov 19 (UNI) The Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee (MC) will submit its report regarding the compliance of the orders of the court by 25,000 traders who had earlier filed affidavit assuring that they would close down their commercial establishments operating illegally from residential areas in Delhi, tomorrow.

The MC will report to the Supreme Court about the filing of affidavits by over 16,000 traders giving intimation that they have stopped the misuse.

Remaining 9,000 traders may feel the heat when the court hears the sealing matter on Tuesday.

During the last hearing, the apex court had indicated that those who would stop the misuse, latest by November 20 and intimate the MC about the closure of their shops, might be given permission to continue till the validity of the two impugned notifications dated September 7 and 15, 2006, permitting mixed use along 2,183 roads.

The traders may be permitted to continue, provided they file fresh affidavit latest by January 31, 2007, in terms of the orders dated September 29, that they would stop the misuse immediately if the two notifications are invalidated by the apex court.

About three lakh other traders who did not file affidavits earlier, have also been directed to file similar affidavits by January 31, 2007. Only then they can continue till the final decision of the court on the two impugned notifications.

The government has already been debarred from issuing any fresh notifications for giving any relief to the traders without prior permission of the court.

The two applications filed by the Centre and the MCD seeking relief for 25,000 traders will be taken up for further hearing on Tuesday.

The court may direct the authorities either to seal the premises of about 9,000 traders who have not filed affidavits informing the MC that they have stopped the misuse or the court may also grant them more time for closing down their shops.

During the raids by the members of the MC in some areas, shops were found operating despite filing of affidavits that the shops have been closed down. Such shopkeepers are bound to face contempt of court proceedings.

UNI AKS/SC SHB DB2020