Sealing: Traders tell Puri to act against unjust order

New Delhi: The Confederation of All India Traders’ (CAIT) has urged Union urban development minister Hardeep Puri to act against unjustified and blanket order of the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee directive for sealing action in the local shopping complexes (LCS) in the national capital.

In a letter to the union minister, the CAIT stated that the order has generated hue and cry among traders of the city.

According to the letter, there are around 140 local shopping complexes  (LSCs) across the capital where thousands of business establishments are conducting their commercial activities and most of them have paid parking and conversion charges and despite this, orders have been issued for action against them.

CAIT secretary general, Praveen Khandelwal said that such an order of the SC-appointed monitoring committee is against the principle of natural justice and legal precedence, when any matter is sub-judice, the status quo is maintained till the time it is decided by the court.

In a communication to Mr Puri, the CAIT reminded him that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has made various amendments in the 2021 Delhi master plan, which also covers the LSCs, and the said amendments are pending before the Supreme Court and thus the matter is sub-judice and no action can be taken till the time it is adjudicated by the apex court.

Under the circumstances, it is also requested that suitable directions may be passed to the civic agencies to adhere to the “due process of law” and principle of natural justice.

Mr Khandelwal requested Mr. Puri to convene a meeting with lieutenant governor (L-G), senior officials of civic agencies, NDMC, DDA and other concerned authorities with representatives of trade to discuss the issue and put the law of the land in place.

The traders’ association further said that the due process is well defined in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi Act, 1957 and the it is obliged to follow the law by which it is governed.