Traders on Sunday staged a demonstration in East Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar and threatened to shut down the popular garment market against the MCD’s collection of user charge to lift garbage against set norms.
No immediate response was available by the civic body when approached for a comment.
Around 100-150 shopkeepers, who were joined by Gandhi Nagar ward councillor Priya Kamboj, staged a demonstration in the market alleging that the MCD was randomly collecting a user charge of Rs 1,000 from shopkeepers flouting rules.
“The MCD is randomly collecting a user charge of Rs 1,000 from shopkeepers in the Gandhi Nagar market without complying to the rules. There is mismanagement in the collection process as shopkeepers are being charged regardless of their shop size,” the BJP councillor said.
As per the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, commercial properties have to pay a user charge ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 depending on the size of the plot or its seating capacity.
The BJP councillor claimed that the shopkeepers in the area are being slapped with heavy challans by the MCD officials if they refuse to pay the user charge.
The shopkeepers demanded the user charge be rolled back as MCD already levies parking charges, conversion charges, among other components paid with property tax.
They threatened to shut down the Gandhi Nagar market if their demand was not met.
“We already pay parking charges and conversion charges. Our demand is MCD remove user charge or else we will close the market,” a shopkeeper said.
Kamboj said that she will meet mayor Shelly Oberoi soon to discuss the issue.
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