RWAs welcome court decision, traders want bill in Parliament

NEW DELHI: Traders have expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court’s decision to stay amendments to the Master Plan of Delhi 2021.

The traders have decided to ask the Centre and the Delhi government to come up with a bill in Parliament, which they say would protect them from the sealing drive. But resident welfare associations (RWA) welcomed the apex court’s decision and said it would help prevent sprouting of commercial establishments in residential areas.

After the court’s decision, the matter has become more complicated. It will not just affect the livelihood of lakhs of people but destabilise traders. We have sought an appointment with union minister for home affairs Rajnath Singh on Wednesday,” said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of Confederation of All India Traders.

Traders said the Centre should immediately bring a bill in the current Parliament session to issue a moratorium on sealing. The court and the government should adopt a holistic approach on the issue, they said.

“The commercialisation is the result of the failure of agencies concerned to discharge their obligations envisaged under different master plans and because of them, the traders have been made scapegoat. The DDA has developed only 16% planned commercial space in last 40 years,” said Vijay Kumar, president of South Extension I Market Association.

Khandelwal said that a traders’ delegation will also meet union minister of housing and urban affairs Hardeep Puri, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over their demands.

RWAS FEEL VINDICATED

“Repeated amendments and relaxation in MPD 2021 have destroyed the soul of planned development. Unfortunately, the civic authorities have been bringing changes without creating additional infrastructure facilities to support these commercial establishments. No authority has right to convert the city into a jungle,” said Rajeev Kakria, GK I RWA member. “The SC decision has come as a boost to the ‘save our city’ campaign launched by the RWAs to oppose the amendments in the master plan.”

The RWA members said that they were not against traders but the civic authorities, which were taking decisions without understanding the aftermath.