Traders eagerly await SC hearing on sealing tomorrow

New Delhi, May 6 (UNI) The fate of traders still living under the damocles sword of sealing could be determined tomorrow when the Supreme Court hears a case on the sealing of commercial establishments.

Traders who are bearing the brunt of the ongoing sealing operations on areas other than the over 2500 areas notified as mixed use or commercial streets as per the criterion laid down by the Master Plan, are hoping that the Apex court gives them relief from the sealing operations.

''Traders are awaiting the judgement of the case with their fingers crossed. They are anticipating relief from ongoing sealing of business establishments in Delhi which has immensely destroyed centuries old distributive character of Delhi trade,''the secretary general of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) Praveen Khandelwal said.

He regretted that thousands of shops in Delhi were closed since months due to sealing and so far the Government has not taken any cognizance of such shopkeepers and their employees.

The CAIT has urged for a compensation package' for such traders and their employees and till such time they are suitably relocated, they should also be allowed to carry business activities.

''The unstable atmosphere coupled with uncertainty has forced upcountry traders to divert their business from Delhi to other states whereas big companies and traders of producing states are refraining from credit dealings with Delhi traders as they feel that ongoing sealing at one point may result into non-recovery of their money,''Mr Khandelwal said.

The Supreme Court had, after the notification of the Master Plan on February 7, exempted traders having their shops on notified areas from sealing and posted the hearing on the sealing case till May 7.

The CAIT has opined that in principle it must be agreed that traders liable to close down their establishments must be given alternate space to operate their business. For this purpose, at the first instance, the DDA should be directed not to make any commercial auction of land in Delhi at least till the traders are relocated.

A thorough survey in an earliest time bound period should be conducted to assess the requirements of commercial space for the traders who are liable to wind up their business. In the meantime, the sealed business establishments should be allowed to re-start their commercial operations to meet the ends of humanitarian justice.

UNI