REFILE-Striking shopkeepers stone buses in New Delhi
01 Nov 2006 09:20:04 GMT Source: Reuters
(Adds dropped word "three" in final paragraph) NEW DELHI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Protesting traders stoned buses and blocked a national highway in the Indian capital on Wednesday as their strike against a government drive to close illegal shops in residential areas turned violent. The three-day strike began on Monday, closing New Delhi's major markets, although some chemists and small stores have remained open. Protesters jammed traffic on a major highway connecting New Delhi with the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. They squatted on the road, shouted slogans and also broke windows of at least three buses. No injuries were reported. The civic clean-up began earlier this year after the Supreme Court said shops on at least 2,000 city roads passing through residential areas were illegal and should be closed. About 40,000 traders were told to vacate their premises by the end of October or face having them closed. In the meantime, the Delhi state government has been trying to persuade the Supreme Court to delay orders to seal the illegal shops, due to begin on Thursday. The Confederation of Indian Industry said in a statement on Tuesday the traders' strike would "have a laggard effect on Delhi's economy". It estimated that apart from livelihood of the daily wage labourers who work in shops and markets, the loss to the government caused by the strike and based on average value-added tax (VAT) collections would be around one billion rupees ($22 million). At least three people were killed during similar protests in September. ($1=44.90 Indian Rupee)
