The traders announced to continue with their protest even as the DDA passed proposals for amending the Master Plan 2021 in a meeting chaired by LG Anil Baijal
The Capital came to a standstill on Friday when traders of around 25,00 markets went on a two-day strike in protest of the sealing drive being carried out by the municipal corporations since December, last year.
The bandh called by Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), an umbrella body of trade groups, affected markets in Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh, Sadar Bazar, Kashmiri Gate, Bhagirath Place, Defence Colony, Green Park, Kamla Nagar, Khan Market, South Extension, Greater Kailash, Lajpat Nagar, Defence Colony, Rajouri Garden and Tilak Nagar.
"The association has called for a complete bandh in which more than seven lakh shops in as many as 2,500 markets will participate. No commercial activity will take place and all wholesale and retail markets of Delhi will be completely shut." said Praveen Khandelwal, national secretary-general, CAIT
The traders announced to continue with their protest even as the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) passed proposals for amending the Master Plan 2021 in a meeting chaired by LG Anil Baijal, in the afternoon. "The strike will continue on Saturday as well. These are temporary reliefs as the process of making amendments will take a lot of time and till then the sealing drive will continue causing major losses," he added.
CAIT estimates a combined loss of Rs. 3,600 crore to the businessmen because of trade being disrupted in the next 48 hours.
"The two-day bandh will cause us a huge loss specially during the weekend when we have major footfall. But this will be nothing in front of the loss we will have to face if the sealing drive continues," said Rajendra Sharda, the chairman of market association in Greater Kailash-I.
Traders also took out a protest march in several markets, demanding that the sealing exercise be stopped immediately. "We have assembled here to extend our support with the traders whose business have been badly affected due to the ongoing political tussle between the BJP and the AAP," said Brij lal, a trader during a protest gathering around town hall in Chandni Chowk.
Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken also joined a protest in Lajpat Nagar Market. "The so called relief by DDA, for which both the AAP and the BJP claiming credit is nothing else but 'extortion' by the Governments! Concessions already in MPD2021 & MPD1962 are being re-packaged with charges which are unjustified," he said.
Meanwhile, some markets including the Nehru place gave the bandh a miss. "Our market is completely authorized and no sealing drive have been carried out here," said Jitender Gupta, president, Nehru Place Market Association.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Sealing drive")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}