Rajnath doles out sops for traders

LUCKNOW, DEC 6: With an eye on next year's Assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh today tried his best to appease ...

LUCKNOW, DEC 6: With an eye on next year’s Assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh today tried his best to appease the trading community by announcing many sops at a “panchayat” organised by him at his residence. The meeting was also attended by Rajnath’s Cabinet colleagues and state government officials.

Over 25,000 representatives of various traders’ organisations who attended the meeting, apprised the Chief Minister of the problems faced by them and submitted a long list of demands. Rajnath tried to strike a bargain with them and succeeded in appeasing them by announcing half-a-dozen concessions on the spot. In turn, the Chief Minister got an assurance that they (traders) would help raise the state government’s revenue.

The traders expressed their ire against the officials and complained to the Chief Minister about their “misdeeds” and the “ill-treatment” being meted out to them by these officials. They also raised their voice against what they termed as “arbitrary” — the raids on their premises on some pretext or the other. “Why doesn’t the government raid the houses of dishonest MLAs, ministers and officials?”they asked.

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By suspending Section 3/7 of the Essential Commodities Act, he lifted the check on traders’ hoarding, profiteering and adulteration. Under the Act, those indulging in unscrupulous activities were liable to be issued non-bailable warrants and arrested. The move was welcomed by the UP Vyapar Sangh president Shyam Bihari Mishra and general secretary Banwari Lal Kanchchal.

The Chief Minister also lifted ceiling on sugar stocks, reduced trade tax appeal fee to Rs 2,100 from Rs 10,000, exempted trade tax on textiles and liberalised the procedure for issuing arms licences for them. Expressing concern over the crime rate, he said the government was trying its best to improve the situation.

“Daggamar buses” will get licences by paying one-time royalty, trucks willbe allowed to carry 12 tonnes of weight instead of nine tonnes at presentand one-time trade tax settlement period will be extended for one moreyear, the Chief Minister added.

Rajnath refused to announce any time-bound programme to end corruption and said an overhaul in the system was needed to weed out corruption.

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Visible happy over the “success” of the traders’ panchayat, Rajnath said he plans to hold more such panchayats in the future.

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