South Delhi traders observe bandh against sealing, warn of wider strike

If not heard, then traders from across the city would be compelled to observe Delhi trade bandh in near future

Live in one of South Delhi's posh localities? If you do, you might have been surprised if you visited your local market on Friday. South Delhi's traders are observing a "trade bandh" across different markets, according to an official release from the Confederation Of All India Traders (CAIT).    

The bandh, according to the release, comes in response to the "continuous sealing of shops in various parts of Delhi". Shutters in prominent markets like Greater Kailash, South Extension, Defence Colony, Hauz Khas, and Yusuf Sarai, among others, remained closed on Friday and no commercial activity took place. 

CAIT has categorically said that if the protesting traders are not heard by the authorities, then traders from across the whole of Delhi would be "compelled to observe Delhi trade bandh in near future". Further, the traders' body has demanded the immediate and direct intervention of Home Minister Rajnath Singh and urged him to initiate a dialogue with the traders' delegation. 

Gathering at South Extension, thousands of traders and employees of these markets staged a demonstration and demanded respite from sealing.

Why exactly did you have to return home without your groceries? The protesting traders contend that in markets that in the very beginning were deemed local shopping centres and local commercial markets, and where traders have been working since decades, what was the logic for demanding conversion charges and that too, more exorbitant than in comparison for residential areas converted into commercial areas. 

The traders added that this amounted to "injustice" and was "against the spirit of the principle of natural justice", the release said. 

Further, they demanded that the proposed floor area ratio of 350 or 400-500 should be immediately implemented by the central government since it has failed to build enough commercial space in Delhi. 

Supporting Friday's South Delhi markets trade bandh that has been called by the area's different trade associations, CAIT said that sealing in Delhi was being conducted "in utter disregard of the constitutional provisions of Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957". Further, the traders' body said that Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials were "behaving like bonded labor of the monitoring committee and sealing the premises by violating their own governing MCD Act, 1957". 

"There is no one to listen. The sealing has created a havoc and local customers are not visiting retail markets whereas traders from outside Delhi are refraining themselves to come to Delhi in wholesale markets," the CAIT release said.

CAIT National Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal and Secretary Ramesh Khanna also said that the unified MCD had passed 351 roads to be declared as commercial and mixed land use about 10 years back and sent the list for notifying these roads to the Delhi Government. However, they said, "it was highly regretted that no steps have been taken and the issue is dumped in the files". 

CAIT has also called upon Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to immediately notify the roads to provide relief to traders who are conducting business activities on these roads.