City traders' body, GMC at loggerheads

'NGOs come to us frequently and demand exorbitant amounts for garbage disposal. If we're to pay for garbage disposal, let us pay at one go, at the time of renewal our licenses yearly instead of doling out money every now and then to NGO youths. What's happening is no less than extortion' -  All Guwahati Traders' Association

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 19: The All Guwahati Traders' Association (AGTA) and the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) are at loggerheads over the issue of renewal of trade license for fiscal 2015-16. The former alleges that the latter is not at all trader-friendly.

According to AGTA sources, it had a meeting with the GMC on the issue of renewal of traders' licenses on March 19 this year when it was decided to hike 15-20 per cent renewal rates. AGTA sources said that they are ready to pay in accordance with the agreement reached between the two in the March 19 meeting, but not ready to accept anything beyond the agreement.

According to AGTA sources, at the time renewal of trade licenses for fiscal 2015-16, the civic has introduced some fresh rules that are not in the agreement reached between the two parties in their last meeting. "This is nothing but coercion," they said, and questioned: "How come the GMC introduce fresh rules unilaterally when we had a meeting to sort out all such disputed issues on March 19 this year?"

Some of the new rules introduced by the GMC, according to the traders' body, are (1) every trader has to submit up-to-date GMC property tax as commercial, (2) submit traders' balance sheets and income tax returns (in the event of absence of such documents the traders have to submit affidavits regarding the turnover/income)  and (3) proofs of traders' residences.

These three conditions set by the GMC unilaterally make the bone of contention between the two parties. The traders are of the opinion that up-to-date GMC property tax as commercial is a matter purely related to the landlords who give their houses on rent for commercial purposes. "Why should the GMC make us submit such documents for the renewal of our trade licenses?  Don't they collect property tax from landlords who rent their houses?" the traders questioned.

The traders are also not ready to accept the other two conditions set unilaterally by the civic body. They submitted a memorandum to the GMC commissioner on these issues yesterday. "If no decision is taken on this disputed issues by May 24, we'll go for a vigorous agitation," they said.

The traders also allege that the civic body has been harassing them one way or the other. They allege that the civic body has entrusted some NGOs for garbage disposal in the city. "We don't know what agreement has been reached between the GMC and the NGOs. What is happening, however, is that the NGOs come to us frequently and demand exorbitant amounts. If we're to pay for garbage disposal, let us pay at one go at the time of renewal our licenses yearly instead of doling out money every now and then to NGO youths," they said, and added: "What's happening is no less than extortion."