New Delhi: The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) in a communication sent to Union Urban Development Minister Shri Hardeep Puri today has urged for an Amnesty Scheme to protect traders of Delhi from the onslaughts of sealing. The CAIT in its communication has made responsible failure of authorities in ensuring structured development & growth of trade and commerce in Delhi and failure of timely implementation of various provisions of earlier Master Plans by previous Governments which has landed the traders in vicious circle of sealing.
CAIT Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal in the communication said that Delhi traders are facing a great onslaught of sealing since year 2006 though you took every effort from year 2014 to resolve sealing issue and much has been resolved to a great extent. However, the sword of sealing is always hanging on traders of all parts of Delhi. In the event of non timely implementation of earlier Master Plans and due to lethargic attitude of the Authorities and previous Governments, the trade of Delhi was developed by traders in an unstructured way to meet the requirements of people of Delhi. Even the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development had filed an Affidavit in the Supreme Court in 2008 and admitted that various Agencies could able to develop only 16% of the commercial space in Delhi in past four decades. The rest of the 84% commercial space was developed by traders on their own and without any support from any quarter in order to meet the needs of growing population of Delhi. However, without realising the contribution of traders in development of Delhi, a process of sealing of shops started in year 2006 and which is still continued. The trade of Delhi has been greatly destroyed . Thousands of shops are still remain sealed and there is no hope of de-sealing of the same due to very adamant and arbitrary attitude of the Monitoring Committee. The entire trade of Delhi is crying. Even various relief granted by you in past years from time to time have not been implemented as every time the Monitoring Committee prevented the Authorities for taking remedial steps on one illogical pretext or the other. Due to high disturbance in Delhi markets due to sealing, the traders are suffering a lot.
Mr. Khandelwal suggested that on the pattern of regularisation of unauthorised colonies, the Government may bring an Amnesty Scheme with a cut off date with a provision of maintaining status quo as on cut off date and no action may be taken against such properties or any action if taken should be reversed to it actual position of cut off date. The development norms could be specified separately for such shop/areas falling under Amnesty Scheme and reasonable charges may also be prescribed for availing the benefit of Amnesty Scheme. The shops already sealed may be allowed to be de-sealing bringing back normalcy in Delhi business. This act of kindness will certainly give one of the major relief to Delhi traders and will ensure that there must not be any revenue loss to the Government and no law is violated and traders may be free from the jaws of sealing.
The CAIT also complimented the Government for regularisation of about 1750 unauthorised colonies of Delhi will benefit about 3 lakh very petty traders who are conducting their business activities in these unauthorised colonies since a long time catering to the daily need of residents whereas on the other hand providing free hold right to commercial shops and plots in Delhi will ultimately make the traders real owners of the property/shop which will enable them to obtain formal finance from Banks and other financial institutions and will also lead to extensive growth of business in Delhi. It is expected that about 10 lakh small businesses will avail the benefit of this decision.
