Sandeep Joshi
Atmosphere volatile, says Jaipal Reddy
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NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will inform the Supreme Court that it cannot resume sealing operations on Friday in view of the law and order situation in the capital.
The decision was taken at an urgent meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Thursday evening after the court turned down the Centre's plea to stay the sealing drive. Earlier in the day, the court-appointed Monitoring Committee asked the MCD to resume the exercise targeting illegal commercial establishments in the south zone from Friday.
"Traders agitated"
The matter was discussed by the GoM. Municipal Commissioner A.K. Nigam and Delhi Police Commissioner K.K. Paul told the GoM that the traders had become agitated and resorted to violence on Wednesday, and the situation was not conducive to resuming the sealing operations on Friday. Also, in view of the "Guru Purab" celebrations during the weekend, the exercise would not be possible until after the festivities were over. Later, briefing the media, Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said, "Both the MCD and the police are of the opinion that it is difficult to carry out sealing in the volatile atmosphere. And so, the MCD has been asked to approach the court on Friday and apprise it of the difficulties on the ground in carrying out the sealing."
He refused to say when the drive would resume. "You can draw your own inference from what I have said."
The operations are unlikely to start till November 6, when the court will hear the pleas of the Centre and the MCD to stop sealing and provide relief to traders who filed affidavits promising to end misuse of residential premises.
Meanwhile, markets reopened on Thursday after the three-day Delhi bandh.
Some private schools remained closed in view of the law and order problem. Though there were no protests, police and paramilitary forces remained on high alert.
The Group of Ministers which is overseeing the issue has decided not to resume the sealing of unauthorised commercial establishments until Monday. The decision came after seeing the current tense situation in New Delhi.

The Group of Ministers is headed by Home minister Shivraj Patil and comprised of Law minister H R Bhardwaj, Delhi CM Sheila Dikhit, Union Urban Development minister S Jaipal Reddy and his deputy Ajay Makan.

S Jaipal Reddy told reporters that it is very difficult to conduct the sealing drive in the city under these circumstances. He made the statement after a meeting of Group of Ministers.

The Supreme Court had already sent the notice to Municipal Corporation of Delhi to resume the sealing drive from Thursday. They will approach the apex court on Friday and will apprise the court about the difficulties in carrying out the sealing drive in these circumstances where the traders are going on strike and creating situation of tension in the capital.

Supreme Court's Monitoring committee called on the MCD to resume the sealing of unauthorised shops in the city on Friday.