FOR FAVOUR OF PUBLICATION

FOR FAVOUR OF PUBLICATION

NEW DELHI, Nov 23—Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Shri Ajay Maken said the Delhi State Traders’ Congress was formed to give the traders a platform to address their problems and issues. She Ajay Maken said this while addressing a meeting of the Delhi State Traders’ Congress, held at the Punjabi Bagh Club, under the leadership of chairman of Delhi State Traders’ Congress Sushil Gupta, in which traders from all parts of Delhi attended.

Besides Shri Ajay Maken, the traders’ meeting was attended by Sushil Gupta, B B Gupta, Chattar Singh, Anil Kukreja, Ajay Arora, Murali Mani and leaders of the Petroleum Products Union  Om Prakash Goel and N.K.Jindal.

Shri Maken said the Traders’ Congress will hold dharnas and demonstrations to safeguard the interest of the traders, and when the Congress comes to power, it will ensure that the concerns of the traders are properly addressed.

Shri Ajay Maken said the revenue of the Delhi Government comes mostly from the income generated by the traders through VATs. He said in the Master Plan of 2007, when the UPA Government was in power at the Centre, it had regularised many shopping centres and areas where trading activites were being carried out, from where the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had generated crores of rupees through parking fees and conversion charges.  Shri Maken wondered where has all that money gone?

He said the AAP Government in Delhi has fixed ac  target of Rs 24000 crore from VAT collection, which works out to 34 per cent increase in VAT collection, though in reality, it is an impossible target to achieve, because in the previous years, the VAT collection never went beyond two per cent. This clearly shows the lack of vision and long-term plan of the  AAP Government.

Shri Maken said the traders of Delhi were now a harassed lot as the AAP Government was imposing newer charges on the traders on various pretexts, and the officials were making illegal raids on the premises of the traders on flimsy grounds, making it difficult for the traders to ply their trade.

Shri Sushil Gupta said during the 15-year rule of the Congress Government in Delhi, the traders were not harassed or troubled as the Congress Government had created a congenial atmosphere for the traders to do their business without any fear of harassment. He said VAT collection was also good in those days. He assured the traders that under the leadership of Shri Ajay Maken, the Delhi Traders’ Congress will fight to protect the interest of the traders.