New Delhi, Mar 10 (KNN) Amidst the ongoing sealing drive in Delhi, South Delhi Municipal corporation (SDMC) on Thursday further sealed over 400 shops. Earlier similar sealing drives were conducted in other parts of the capital. 

Eyeing at assuring relief to the traders, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that he would sit on ‘dharna’ (hunger strike) if the problem of the traders is not addressed by March 31^st.

Talking to KNN over the latest development, Narendra Madan, Chairman of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said that the main reason behind the misery of the traders is the involvement of petty politics.

“Nobody wants to solve our problems, we are being used as a tool to play politics, had it been otherwise, the situation could have been different”, he said.

Madan further said that the traders are already in a lot of problems and their situation is progressing from bad to worse, waiting till 31^st is going to do no good.

“Such announcement on going Dharna brings in no hope for the traders, instead the government both Centre as well as State should sit and try to address the issue keeping politics aside”, he added.

He further said that the solution at hand could be to bring in an ordinance and stop the ongoing sealing drive.

Earlier too during the Congress led Delhi government, the Delhi assembly passed an ordinance to stay the drive.

“If the intention was to solve the problems, it would have been solved by now, in this case it is to do politics it seems”, he said.  Protesting against this, the traders in Delhi have called for a ‘Bandh’ on March 13.

Civic bodies have undertaken the sealing drive initiated by a Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee on December  2017 last year. The committee is sealing business establishments that are using residential properties for commercial purposes.

Commercial premises have been sealed for failing to deposit conversion charges according to provisions in Master Plan 2021. (KNN/DA)