Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 5

Those traders who failed to renew their trade licences from the Amritsar Municipal Corporation (MC) till March 31, now have to pay heavy penalties along with the licence fee and conservancy charges.

The Municipal Corporation charged Rs 500 for renewal of trade licence till March 31. After the due date, one has to pay Rs 300 conservancy charges alowing with renewal fee. Apart from this, traders also need to pay a fine of Rs 100 per day. One has to pay around Rs 7,500 for the trade licence renewal till this week.

The MC has 17,000 registered traders who need a trade licence to run their business in the city. According to report, 40 per cent traders got their trade licences renewed. Around 6,600 traders paid conservancy charges between March and April. The Municipal Corporation officials claimed that traders were depositing the fee.

Meanwhile, traders were irked over the MC levying heavy penalties. They urged the government to exempt them from trade licence renewal fee following the Covid-19 induced curfew and lockdown.

“Shopkeepers are facing economic hardships due to the pandemic and the government is minting money. Provision of heavy penalty should be done away with,” said Gopal Mahajan, a trader.

Mayor Kamrajit Singh Rintu asked traders to pay trade renewal fee.