South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) proposal to levy professional fee and double property tax on rented shops is unjustified, according to a trader’s association.

“Due to coronavirus, Delhi's business is already facing many problems, despite the shops being open, the footfall in the shops is very low as people are gripped with much fear of corona and do not want to visit markets. Like other sectors, the government has not given economic packages to traders and in such a situation it has become very difficult to operate business,” said Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary General, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).

The shops were closed during lockdown and there was no concession in rent rates which has forced many shops and offices in different areas of Delhi to shut down shutters. The financial conditions of the traders have deteriorated, and no one is worried about that and in such a situation, this proposal of the South DMC is meaningless, he added.

During the lockdown, the shops were closed for more than two months and the government issued a poignant decree on traders to pay the wages to their employees and despite having an acute financial crunch, the employees were paid. Similarly, the Corporation should do that. On the other hand, we all know what kind of civic amenities are provided by the corporatino.

CAIT has demanded that SDMC should withdraw such proposal immediately.

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