Dikshit, Cong MLAs to meet PM on sealing

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Congress MLAs will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday evening to seek his intervention on the issue of sealing of illegal businesses in residential premises.

Dikshit, along with her party MLAs, would plead before the Prime Minister for an early implementation of the 'Delhi Master Plan 2021' so that some relief could be given to the affected traders, official sources said.

The Chief Minister had earlier met Singh twice on the issue.

Meanwhile, the drive against illegal shops began at Keshav Marg in West Delhi and Gautam Nagar in South Delhi. The MCD is also expected to seal premises in Qutub Institutional Area where some properties have been misused.

The traders' relay hunger-strike at Rajghat against the sealing drive also entered the second day on Thursday.

Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary General of Confederation of All India Traders (CIAT), said the traders would seek the Prime Minister's intervention for evolving a comprehensive plan for the rehabilitation of the affected traders.

"We will be back to square one position when the extended deadline of January 31 is expired. We want the Centre to come out with some concrete package before we are uprooted from our places," he said.