Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bhopal Traders protested against the municipal corporation’s drive to seal commercial stores operating in residential areas. Demanding the immediate withdrawal of tax, they visited the Municipal Corporation office at the ISBT and held a sit-in protest.
The protest was organised under the banner of the Bhopal Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
According to the trader, Bhopal is the only city in Madhya Pradesh where a commercial licence fee is being levied, calling the practice unfair and a financial burden on the city’s business community.
During the protest, they met with Mayor Malti Rai and Municipal Corporation Chairman Kishan Suryavanshi.
Traders submitted the memorandum to Mayor Malti Rai ahead of council meeting session begins
They pointed out that while traders have been paying this tax for years, it is not being levied anywhere else in the state.
During the meeting, business representatives expressed deep concern that the commercial license fee is not enforced in other cities of Madhya Pradesh. Instead, this additional charge is being imposed solely on traders in Bhopal.
The traders raised a pertinent question: Why are Bhopal's traders being subjected to this discriminatory and unfair treatment? Bhopal is the state capital, and its business community contributes significantly to the city's economy, employment, and revenue.
Protest in Roshanpura
A day ago on Tuesday, members of the Chamber of Commerce & shopkeepers staged a protest in Roshanpura over the same issue.
In these times of inflation, imposing an additional financial burden on traders—rather than providing them relief—is unjustifiable from any perspective, they complained.
Business organisations stated that if commercial activities can operate in other cities without such a fee, the justification for imposing this separate financial burden on Bhopal's traders must be clearly explained.
