The decision was taken at a four-hour meeting between the monitoring committee, MCD Commissioner, Delhi Government officials and police.
NEW DELHI: In a major relief, at least for the time being, to Delhi traders facing the axe, the Supreme Court-appointed committee on Wednesday night decided not to resume the sealing drive on Thursday against shops running illegally in residential areas.
The direction of the committee came late in the evening at a four-hour meeting with MCD, Delhi government and police on a day of hectic activities when the government approached the apex court seeking relief for the traders whose bandh on Thursday was marred by arson and violence.
Though the monitoring committee members did not talk to the press on the discussions in the meeting, the MCD spokesman said in terse remarks that the sealing drive will not resume on Thursday.
He, however, refused to give any details on what transpired at the meeting and did not comment when asked about when the action would resume.
The decision of the committee came a day after it had asked the MCD to resume the sealing drive from Thursday against more than 40,000 traders who had filed affidavits with the Supreme Court promising to shut their businesses in residential areas.
Citing the traders' difficulties, the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking permission not to resume sealing drive from tomorrow against those who have given an undertaking to shift their businesses from unauthorised premises.
The application filed by the Ministry of Urban Development sought modification of the September 29 order by which the sealing was to commence on the premises of 44,000 traders, who were allowed to continue their business till October 31 in view of the festivals.
The Group of Ministers (GoM) on sealing also met on Wednesday and opined that it was "not desirable" to carry out the drive.
The protests against the sealing drive turned violent on the third and final day of the trade bandh as irate traders damaged around 150 buses and blocked movement of vehicles at many places, disrupting for several hours normal life in the national capital.
The traders said all markets in Delhi will remain open on Thursday.
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