The Hindu 12.01.2010
VMC to bring all trades under D and O licence fold
Staff Reporter
The officials, initially, to take an undertaking on plain white paper
The corporation hopes to generate revenue of about Rs. 1 crore
VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation has set for itself a target to bring all trades and traders, including petty traders and vendors, under the fold of Dangerous & Offensive (D&O) licences in the city.
The Corporation on January 9 launched a special drive to add about 8,000 new D&O trade licences, in addition to the existing 25,000 to 30,000 in the city. Of the existing ones, only about 22,000 licence holders are paying the fee regularly.
The Corporation plans to issue D&O licences to all the trades though certain documents like lease agreement, property tax receipt, electricity connection and so on.
The Corporation has so far been unable to issue the licences as the traders or shopkeepers in some cases do not enter into agreement with the property owner, or do not have knowledge of the tax paid or of power connections.
The officials would initially take an undertaking on a plain white paper from traders, shopkeepers and business establishments that they are doing business from the address stated on it, and issue the notice. The trader would have to pay the D&O fee at the VMC office.
The Corporation hopes to generate revenue of about Rs. 1 crore.
It has already collected Rs. 4 crores towards D&O trade licence fee.
The Corporation would be covering all the trades, including those selling fast foods on push carts.
The VMC has been concentrating on augmenting D&O licence fees from 2008. It issued nearly 25,000 trade licences under various categories in 2008, and proposed to issue licences for more than 900 types of trades and businesses in the city.
Survey
The officials after conducting a survey found that 6,000 to 10,000 individuals would have to take D&O trade licences in the city.
In 2009, the corporation official seized computer training centres, chicken shops, restaurants and other trades that have not paid the D&O trade licence fee to the tune of Rs. 1.5 crores despite repeated notices.
