Agency completes surveying 42K shops for license fee

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The state government ordered the municipal corporation, almost a decade ago, to start collecting license registration fees from the business fraternity in the city. However, due to strong opposition from the fraternity, the implementation was delayed. However, the civic administration dared to implement the license fee collection without paying heed to the opposition. The municipal corporation deployed a private agency ORNET to conduct a survey of traders and businessmen in the city.

The agency handed over the data of 42,000 traders and businessmen to the municipal corporation. Now, the agency will initiate the registration process and then collect their license fee.

It may be noted that it took around 10 years for the civic administration to implement the state government’s order of collecting the fee. So far, the civic administration, due to the pressure of the ruling parties in power, was delaying the process. However, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) took serious cognizance of it and took the civic authorities to task. Later, the process of collecting license fees was passed in the general body (GB) meeting in 2019. Later on, the private agency was shortlisted through a tender process. The agency after completing the survey mentioned the above strength of shops and establishments in the city. The survey comprises each shop’s location. The petty shops existing in the bylanes have also been included in the survey. Now, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) will categorise the list of traders and then decide on collecting the fees. Lastly, the final strength of traders will have to undergo a registration process and the license fee will be collected online, said the sources.

High expenditure

The CSMC will be paying Rs 250 to the agency against the survey per shop/establishment. After starting the fee collection process, the agency will be getting Rs 300 per shop. Meanwhile, the private agency presented a bill of Rs 70 lakh against the survey. The civic administration, however, set aside their bill underlining that it will be cleared after the collection of fees resumes in the city, it is learnt.

It may be noted that it is important for each trader to complete the registration process for the license fee. Each shopkeeper will have to pay a license fee every year at the time of renewal.