New Delhi: The Prime Minister’s Office has directed the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) to find a way to provide relief to traders and shopkeepers affected by the ongoing sealing drive in city by the municipal corporations on the direction of a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee.

The drive had led to a complete shutdown of shopping establishments in Delhi on Tuesday. The ministry has written a note to the Delhi Development Authority, the New Delhi Municipal Council and three corporations, suggesting ways to provide relief to the affected parties.

“To provide relief and to minimise hardship and irreparable loss to the people of the national capital against any punitive action by any agency in respect of the persons covered by the policies, the relief of unauthorised development and misuse be extended to all categories with cut-off date to June 1,2014 so that there remains no disparity in the entirety of the matter. The cut-off date for existence of unauthorised construction misuse to all categories of colonies had been fixed January 1, 2006. In the case of unauthorised colonies, villages abadi area including urban villages and their extensions, the cut-off date had been fixed February 8, 2007,” the note said.

The ministry has also suggested that as far as shop-cum-residence plots developed prior to 1962 in rehabilitation colonies or other residential area are allowed higher floor area ratio equivalent to floor area ratio permissible on residential plot. The same may be adopted in all other shops-cum-residence (pre and post 1962 colonies). “The plot holder of shop-cum-residence plot is also allowed in continue with original use i.e. shop cum residence plot and in such case there will be no insistence for levy of any conversion charges,” the note added.

The ministry has directed all the civic agencies to finalise floor area ratio charges in the case of commercial activity in the basement subject to relevant provisions of building bylaws, structural safety and fire safety clearance.