Traders’ bodies to hold protest rally on February 15

NEW DELHI: Traders associations have announced they will hold a rally from Red Fort to Ghanta Ghar on February 15 to protest the ongoing sealing drive in the city. Market associations from Greater Kailash, South Extension, Defence Colony, Green Park, Green Park Extension and Chandni Chowk said they would take part in the rally. They said they demand the government to bring a Bill in the Parliament immediately to stop sealing.

The rally has been called by Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), a body of traders that claims to have 2,200 market associations as its members. “About 10,000-15,000 traders and 1,500 market associations have confirmed their participation in the rally,” said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of CAIT.

Traders from Khan Market would not participate in the rally, but will support it by tying black bands on the day, according to Sanjiv Mehra, chief of Khan Market Traders Association.

The South Extension I Market would be shut for half a day, said Vijay Kumar, president, South Extension I Market Association.

TRADERS BLAME RWAS

Taking a dig at the city’s residents welfare associations (RWAS), CAIT alleged that the residents are more responsible for increasing commercialisation in Delhi. The CAIT alleged that residents rent out spaces for commercial purposed thus eating up spaces. The move comes in the backdrop of 15 RWAS on Friday questioning the DDA’S urgency to amend Delhi Master Plan 2021, which would give relief to traders.

“In most of the colonies, each resident has multiple vehicles but they don’t have the parking. Therefore they are responsible for Delhi’s parking mess. They have encroached roads for parking their vehicles and inspite of all these activities they are blaming the traders on false and flimsy grounds,” Khandelwal said.

However, Rajiv Kakria, Greater Kailiash I RWA member said that RWAS represent a larger chunk of people than the handful who offer their house for commercial use.