Centre hopes SC order will give relief to 25,000 traders

The central government on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court's readiness to spare 25,000 traders in New Delhi if they stop misusing residential premises for commercial purposes.

The Centre also said it will in all likelihood provide relief to them.

After a 30-minute meeting of a Group of Ministers, Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy asked the traders to give in writing that they have closed down commercial activities in residential premises.

He said the traders covered under the September 7 and 15 notifications on mixed land use have been asked to file affidavits before the Supreme Court complying with its latest directions.

"The 25,000 traders should avail of this opportunity and give the required information on a plain paper to the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee," he said.

To a specific question on whether sealing would continue in the remaining cases, he said it would depend on the Monitoring Committee.

On the draft Master Plan for Delhi 2021, Reddy said the government wanted to implement it as soon as possible but added that since it would be a very big document and various issues were involved, he could not give a definite time frame.