Tuesday, May 2 2006 17:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The bill that the Government intends to introduce in Parliament to provide relief from the court-ordered demolition and sealing drives in Delhi will aimat addressing a variety of issues pending for decades, Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy said today (May 2, 2006).

"It's not only about demolitions, issues related to sealing of shops, unauthorised constructions and the condition of the city's slum dwellers will also be looked into. These issues have been pending for decades," Reddy told reporters after 14 Congress MLAs from Delhi called on him here.

His comments came in the wake of the Supreme Court refusing Centre's request to halt for six months the current sealing drive of commercial establishments in Delhi's residential zones.

The Minister, however, said the government would also take into account the opinion of resident welfare associations that support MCD drives.

"Views of RWAs will also be considered," Reddy remarked after meeting the legislators led by former DPCC chief Subhash Chopra.

On April 28, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to approach the monitoring committee with its request for a six-month suspension of the sealing drives in Delhi.

The court also directed the committee to submit a report by May four on Centre's plea.

The government plans to introduce a bill to provide relief from the MCD drives in the Paliament session reconvening on May 10.