CAIT seeks winding up of SC's sealing panel in Delhi

Apex traders body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has demanded the dissolution of monitoring committee on sealing in Delhi on the ground that all its three members are above 70 years of age.

“All three members of the monitoring committee on sealing are above the age of 70 years and keeping in consideration of the retirement age in government and the supreme court, the monitoring committee should be dissolved immediately,” CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said on Sunday.

Even the judges of the Supreme Court retire at the age of 65 years. Therefore, at least the same retirement age should be applicable not only on members of the monitoring committee but on all panels set up by the top court from time to time for different issues.

Why the clause of retirement age is not applicable on members of the monitoring committee, it asked.

CAIT said it is consulting lawyers and may move to the Supreme Court to decide whether the retirement age should be applicable on any committee or panel the top court sets up for its help.

Perhaps at the time of constituting the committee in 2006, the members of might have been below the retirement age but now since they have crossed it, the monitoring committee should be dismantled, it argued.

“After all there have to be some criteria for setting up of such committees since they are considered as an extended arm of the Supreme Court. The CAIT will also write to government for framing laws for such type of panels,” Khandelwal said.