In good news for striking traders in Delhi, the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee said on Monday night that it disfavoured resumption of the sealing drive against commercial establishments in residential areas in view of prevailing law and order situation.

The three-member committee, in its report submitted to the Apex court late Monday evening, suggested the sealing drive not be resumed on November 1 because of the ongoing traders' strike and prevaling law and order situation, committee sources said.

The panel is also understood to have argued that out of the over 42,000 affidavits filed before it, giving the undertaking to stop the misuse of commercial premises in residential areas, only 5,200 are required to be sealed.

The rest can be given protection under the notifications issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on September 7.

The committee comprises former bureaucrat Bhure Lal, former Election Commission observer K J Rao and S K Jhingan.

Earlier, the Supreme Court, while putting on hold the sealing drive in view of the festive season had ordered its resumption from November 1.

The Apex court had on October 18, extended till January 31, 2007, the last date for filing of affidavits by traders in the capital who are using residential premises for commercial activities.

The court modified its September 29 order by which the traders, who were covered under the September 7 and 15 notifications, were directed to give an undertaking before the monitoring committee by November 10, 2006.

The court had made operational the notifications subject to the outcome of their validity, pursuant to which the traders had to file affidavits.

However, 44,000 traders who had filed affidavits giving an undertaking to stop the misuse of the premises failed to get any relief.