Delhi demolition deadline must be met, says Centre

While protests against demolition by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) continued across the Capital, the two-day shutter-down protest called by traders received lukewarm response.

The MCD today sealed 194 shops across Capital's 11 zones, including Thapar Chambers and CPC Plaza in central Delhi. It had sealed 69 properties yesterday.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken said "deadlines must be met" and added he would not be a party to legalising any illegal structure.

Trade associations would continue the protests tomorrow, said P Khandelwal, secretary of the apex traders' body, Confederation of All-India Traders (CAT).

West zone areas like Punjabi Bagh and Moti Nagar saw massive protests and a near-total band. "Traders here intend to continue the protest tomorrow and surround the office of the MCD deputy commissioner," said Ramesh Khanna, president of the Rajouri Garden Traders' Association.

In other zones, the shops opened in the evening. "Traders do not want to cause inconvenience to people on the first day of Navratras," said Shyam Sharma, president of Jail Road Shopkeepers' Association.

Two zones, the walled city and south Delhi, were not affected by the bandh. About 79 shops were sealed in the City zone, the region between Jama Masjid and Red Fort.

Protests and a shortage of policemen meant the MCD could not seal any property in Civil Lines, Rohini and Sadar Paharganj areas while in Karol Bagh, it could seal only four out of 17 unauthorised properties.

With traders under pressure, banks, too, are facing the heat. "We expect banks to be affected to some extent as traders and businessmen will face pressure on working capital loans as these are not based on whether a property is authorised or not," said GS Matta, executive director of Punjab and Sindh Bank.

The firm stand taken by Maken, handed over the charge of cleaning up Delhi's urban areas, is being read as a hint that a leadership change in the Delhi Congress is possible.

Chief Minister Sheila Dixit's second term should have been a triumph for the party but it led the party leadership to believe that Dixit needed to be controlled. It is here that Maken has been brought into the picture.

Congress sources say that if a leadership change is to take place in the short run, say next month, AK Walia will be party's choice for chief minister. But in the next five or six months, Delhi will be receptive to Ajay Maken, they add.