Centre urged to provide relief to traders affected by sealing

New Delhi, Nov 24 (UNI) Decrying the adverse impact of sealing on the trade in Delhi, the Centre was today urged to provide relief to traders affected by the drive.

Raising a special mention in the Rajya Sabha here, Mr Jai Prakash Agarwal of the Congress said the sealing of shops and commercial establishments has caused loss of hundreds of crore of rupees to the economy of Delhi and left traders on the verge of starvation.

He urged the Centre to provide relief and assistance to traders of Delhi, who make a crucial contribution to the economy of the country.

Ms N P Durga of Telugu Desam Party demanded that the Centre declare cyclone OGNI, which affected many areas of Andhra Pradesh, as a national calamity and provide a relief of Rs 1100 crore to the state.

Pointing out that though a Central team had visited the state to assess the damage caused by the cyclone to lives and property, he lamented that yet no relief has yet been sanctioned for the state.

Ms Durga urged the Centre to provide Rs 1100 crore relief and help the state get Rs 5000 crore assistance from the World Bank for rebuilding its drainage system.

Mr Suman Pathak of the CPI(M) demanded that the Gorkha Dajeeling Hill Council be included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to provide it legal and constitutional sanctity.

Mr Santosh Bagrodia of the Congress pointed out the regional disparity prevailing in the educational facilities and demanded that Central University status be granted to the Rajasthan University.

He said many states like Rajasthan have no central university while Delhi has four such universities, resulting in regional imbalance in the field of education. Underscoring the high academic standards of the Rajasthan University, he demanded that the Centre sanction funds for modernisation and upgradation of library and science departments of the university and grant it Central University status.

Highlighting the historical monuments and other tourists attractions in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, Mr Moinul Hassan of the CPI(M) demanded that an express train be introduced from Sialdah to Murshidabad on a daily basis to facilitate tourists visiting the district.

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