|
New Delhi: More than 18,000 traders and 1,700 schools in the capital heaved a sigh of relief as the Supreme Court yesterday relaxed the closure drive against illegal commercial units.
Authorities, however, continued the operation and closed 140 establishments.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal ruled that traders who had given undertakings to the court-appointed monitoring committee that they would stop commercial activity in residential areas could continue their present operations on giving a fresh affidavit by January 31, 2007.
"The judgment is historic and we are happy over the development," Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said. "Many other traders can also hope of getting relief in the coming days."
Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal also hailed the judgment and expressed satisfaction over it. "We welcome any relief given to the common man in Delhi," said Sibal, who represents the Chandni Chowk parliamentary constituency in the capital.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), meanwhile, continued its drive yesterday against illegal properties and encroachments on government lands.
"We sealed 140 units today including 139 in west Delhi and one in south Delhi. All the 139 establishments were along the Najafgarh-Nangloi Road in the Najafgarh Zone," the MCD official said, adding that the drive will continue.
A total of 1,582 units have been sealed since November 8, when the court-mandated sealing drive resumed in the capital.
Both the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party expressed satisfaction over the apex court's directive, but said those traders who have not got any reprieve so far should also get relief.
"The party certainly welcomes the judgment. We will take up the issue of all others with the central government in general and the urban development ministry in particular," said Delhi Congress chief Rambabu Sharma.
Delhi BJP chief Harsh Vardhan said: "We are happy but we demand a permanent solution to the sealing issue. No ad hoc rule can give reprieve to millions of people who are suffering due to the current drive."
Though the central government sought protection for about 25,000 traders operating from residential areas, only about 18,400 filed affidavits before the monitoring committee stating that they had voluntarily stopped the misuse of the property.
The bench made it clear that the benefit of protection would be available only to these traders who had filed affidavits.
|
