The Delhi Assembly on Friday passed a resolution asking the Centre to take steps to stop the ongoing sealing drive in the Capital, even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sought a two-year moratorium on the drive to provide relief to traders.
Terming it one of three “dangerous attacks” on traders in the recent past – beginning with demonetisation followed by the roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime – Mr. Kejriwal likened the day-to-day execution of the drive to “a warlike situation, like on the India-Pakistan border”.
He added that an all party-delegation, including his Cabinet colleagues, would meet the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee to resolve the issue.
Traders at a loss
The resolution, moved by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj, stated that the “unjustified” sealing is a direct consequence of the “negligence and inefficiency” of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the municipal corporations.
“The sealing drive has wreaked havoc among traders and has left thousands of workers unemployed... Sealing should be immediately stopped. De-seal the already sealed shops,” the resolution, passed by voice vote, stated.
It stated that the Centre should take steps, including bringing a new Bill or amending existing laws in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament, to halt sealing with immediate effect.
Countering allegations by Opposition BJP that the AAP government was not introducing a Bill to give relief to traders from sealing, Mr. Kejriwal said the move will not yield any result as the DDA and municipal corporations do not come under the city administration.
“Sealing is being carried out but no shop of any politician has been sealed. The immediate solution is that the Centre bring a moratorium on sealing for two years. Meanwhile the government and other agencies can complete all formalities to amend the existing laws,” the Chief Minister said.
After the Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta leader refused to attend a meeting on the sealing issue at the CM’s residence, Mr. Kejriwal invited Mr. Gupta for a meeting “at some other place” to discuss the matter.
