A resolution was passed by the Delhi Assembly on Friday urging the Centre to take swift action against the ongoing sealing drive by the civic bodies in the national Capital.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked for a ban on the sealing drive to provide relief to traders. He also declared that if not stopped by March 31, he will sit on strike with the traders.
The drive is a dangerous attack on traders, said the chief minister. He announced that an all-party delegation, including his Cabinet colleagues, would meet the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee to resolve the issue.
Kejriwal said, “While a sealing drive is on, no shop of any politician has been sealed yet. The traders are facing a lot of problems. The immediate solution is that the Centre brings a moratorium on sealing for two years. Meanwhile, the government and other agencies can complete all formalities to amend the existing laws.”
Resolution by the AAP
AAP MLA Sourabh Bharadwaj moved the resolution. The resolution stated unjustified sealing as a consequence of negligence and inefficiency of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the municipal corporations.
Sealing drives in various markets has wreaked a havoc among traders, and left workers unemployed. Sealing should be stopped with immediate effect and the sealed shops should be de-sealed, it stated.
In furtherance, the resolution had that the Centre should take possible steps to end sealing. It had that a new bill should be bought or the existing laws be amended.
Opposition attacks
The Leader of Opposition, Vijender Gupta, blamed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of not introducing a bill to relieve traders from sealing. Gupta accused the AAP government of not appointing prominent lawyers to put up a strong case in the Supreme Court. Sealing drives are being carried out since December.
In response to Gupta’s accusation, Kejriwal said the Delhi government has appointed prominent lawyers. He also added that if the leader of Opposition has anyone else in mind, the government will go ahead with them.