Delhi Assembly demands a stop to sealing drive, de-sealing of shops

New Delhi: The Delhi Assembly on Friday passed a resolution demanding a stop to the ongoing sealing drive in the city and also to de-seal already sealed shops. The sealing drive -- being carried out by the three BJP-led city municipal corporations under the guidance of a Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee -- is against business establishments using residential properties for commercial purposes and those which have not paid conversion charges. The resolution moved by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj also urged the Central government to take all possible steps, including bringing a new bill or amending existing laws in the ongoing budget session of the Parliament, to halt the sealing with immediate effect. "Not only are the MCDs (municipal corporations) resorting to sealing of commercial establishments... but Delhi Police has also been unleashed to terrorise innocent traders and their family members which was seen in full force in Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar recently," the resolution said. "Now therefore, this House strongly condemns the use of force and brutalities committed on innocent traders and their families." Blaming the BJP-led municipal corporations and the Delhi Development Authority, which is under the Central government, for the sealing drive, the resolution said that the dive was a "direct consequence of the negligence and inefficiency" of both agencies. The Monitoring Committee was set up by the Supreme Court in 2006. In 2012, the apex court asked the committee to halt the drive. But, in December 2017, it ordered resumption of the drive.