Traders of Steel City give mixed reaction to BJP’s election sops

Jamshedpur/Ranchi: Traders and businessman have given mixed reactions to the poll promises made by BJP in its manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
President of Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI), Deepak Maroo, said the manifesto has many positives for the business and trading community, but before giving a final verdict one must wait to see how the proposals are implemented.

“The proposal to form a national trade commission is important, as such a body will give a platform to the traders to raise their issues. The social security scheme proposed for small traders is also welcome as we have been demanding it for long. But the key is sincere implementation of the promises made. Most important, BJP’s promise of further improving ease of doing business is welcome but resorting to jugglery of data to project a rosy picture must be avoided,” Maroo added.

The traders and business organizations of the Steel City praised certain proposals listed in the manifesto.

“We have been demanding a pension scheme and a national-level commission for traders for long. BJP under Narendra Modi’s leadership has included both the demands in its manifesto. This development is indeed a welcome one,” Suresh Sonthalia, national secretary of Confederation of All India Traders, said.

Jamshedpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) president Mohan Lal Agarwal said, “It is good that for the first time someone is talking about traders and their welfare.”

The Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) said the announcement to constitute a national trade commission will be received well by traders.

“BJP’s promise to provide accidental insurance of Rs 10 lakh to every trader registered under GST is a step towards providing economic security to traders,” SCCI functionary Bharat Vasani said.

Entrepreneur Saurabh Chaudhary added, “BJP’s promise to start a new scheme that will provide entrepreneurs collateral-free credit up to Rs 50 lakh is a welcome step.”

But many traders also sounded sceptical about BJP’s poll promises.

“BJP’s track record of governance in the last five years hasn’t been encouraging, particularly on issues relating to GST and demonetisation. Apprehending a backlash from the traders in the Lok Sabha polls, the party acted smartly and incorporated traders’ issues in the manifesto,” Subroto Mandal, who owns an electronic shop in Kadma market, said.

A shopkeeper, who owns a railway-ticket-booking franchise in Bistupur, on the condition of anonymity, said that the promises made in the manifesto regarding traders are nothing but a poll gimmick.