LUCKNOW, June 29 -- Traders' organisations have urged the government to shift its focus from sealing commercial establishments to strengthening fire safety infrastructure, saying punitive action alone cannot prevent tragedies like the recent Aliganj fire incident in Lucknow.

The comments were made as Uttar Pradesh celebrated Vyapari Diwas on Sunday. The Uttar Pradesh Adarsh Vyapar Mandal warned that the ongoing sealing drive could jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of traders without addressing the underlying causes of fire safety lapses.

State president Sanjay Gupta said the organisation would seek meetings with defence minister Rajnath Singh, deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, Rajya Sabha MP Dr Dinesh Sharma, and senior offici...