The Hindu 31.12.2010
BMC draws flak on new trade licence norms
Staff Reporter
| Traders urge the corporation to convene a meet on the issue |
— PHOTO: LINGARAJ PANDA 
Members of the Ganjam Chamber of Commerce having a discussion with Commissioner of Berhampur Municipal Corporation in Berhampur on Thursday.
BERHAMPUR: Traders of the city have opposed the newly-imposed ‘trade licence’ fee by the municipal corporation.
A delegation of the Ganjam Chamber of Commerce came to the office of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday to express their displeasure over the imposition of the ‘trade licence’ without consulting the trading community.
According to the declaration of the municipal corporation, traders of the city have to get their firms registered and pay annual trade licence fee by the end of December 31. Otherwise they would have to pay fine.
It may be noted that the BMC came up with declaration for this ‘trade licence’ in October through notification made for implementation of ‘Regulation on Offensive and Dangerous Trades’ through the power conferred on the BMC as per Section 657 and Section 659 of the Orissa Municipal Corporation Act, 2003.
But the Ganjam Chamber of Commerce had urged the BMC to defer its implementation till the traders were made aware of it. They had also urged the BMC to form a special committee comprising BMC officials and representatives of trading community to hold detailed discussions about the purpose and possible practical problems before its implementation. But till now no such committee has been formed by the BMC and no measures have been taken to take traders into confidence about the new license fee.
Ganjam Chamber of Commerce president C. Ravindranath said they were not opposed to licence fee, but as payers they had the right to know the details of the new licence fee. He alleged that at times even the field staff of the BMC who are now moving around to collect the newly-imposed licence fee from the traders do not know the rates, norms and details of its imposition. These traders on Thursday again asked the BMC authorities to defer the collection of ‘trade licence’ fee. They wanted the BMC to convene a committee of traders and officials to sort out its practical problems.
