New Delhi, Jan 3 (KNN) The traders of the national capital, claiming to be highly disturbed and perturbed with ongoing sealing in Delhi, today staged a massive dharna at Jantar Mantar. They have demanded that the government should take immediate steps to restrict sealing drive in Delhi.

The traders' association, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has demanded that the government should bring a bill in current session of the parliament or promulgate an ordinance soon after the session is over with a cut-off date inbuilt in the said bill or ordinance and status quo should be maintained in Delhi as on said cut of date.

It should also have the provision of immediate de-sealing of sealed shops.

The bill or ordinance should contain a cut-off date by which the status quo should be maintained in Delhi. The traders are ready to pay any reasonable charges in lieu of that,  Praveen Khandelwal, National Secretary General of CAIT said adding that the laws and rules for the future should be made quite strict so that no one can defy the same.

The CAIT has also demanded the government to call upon the Supreme Court to disband the Monitoring Committee in the wake of its "dictatorial and undemocratic attitude".

He said that sealing is one of the core and critical issue of Delhi traders which is directly linked with their earnings.

From December, 2017 during the period of last one year, thousands of shops in Delhi have been sealed whereas the sword of sealing is hanging on another thousands of shops and no one is listening to the woes and suffering of the traders, Khandelwal pointed.

He said “The matter is pending before the Supreme Court since a long time and no decision has been taken except dates. The Monitoring Committee is working like a cruel dictator with adamant attitude of sealing entire Delhi.”

Khandelwal said that any encroachment on government land should be removed, the traders have no objection but shops conducting business since decades should not be sealed.

He also demanded that the markets which are about to be shifted should get all sorts of infrastructure facilities at the shifting place and the notices issued by the DDA and MCD to all such shops should be withdrawn.

In addition, conversion charges on Walled City, Sadar Bazar, Karol Bagh, Paharganj, Darya Ganj etc. should be made clear whether to be levied or not, he pointed.

Traders gathered at the Dharna raised strong slogans against Monitoring Committee and sealing and also burnt the effigy of Monitoring Committee.

There are about 7 lakh traders in Delhi which are providing employment to about 25 lakh people and therefore the sealing is not less than a devil for them, voiced traders.