PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Doon-based traders staged a protest at the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) on Wednesday, alleging that shopkeepers and street vendors were being harassed during enforcement drives on the excuse of banned polythene. The traders submitted a memorandum to the Dehradun mayor Saurabh Thapliyal seeking fair, transparent and uniform enforcement of the rules.
The president of Distributors of Uttarakhand (Dehradun Division)Vivek Aggrawal said that small shopkeepers were not involved in manufacturing the banned polythene and were only the final link in a supply chain involving manufacturers, wholesalers and suppliers. He said that enforcement action was unfairly focused on retailers and vendors.
Aggrawal further said that special drives during festivals often resulted in heavy fines, placing an additional financial burden on small businesses. “The traders support the government’s efforts to curb banned polythene and protect the environment but are opposed to the one-sided enforcement,” he said and urged the MCD to identify the sources of banned polythene and take action against manufacturers, wholesalers and suppliers instead of restricting enforcement to retailers and street vendors.
He also sought greater awareness about permissible alternatives so that businesses could comply with the regulations without facing difficulties.
Aggrawal called for an end to what he termed unnecessary harassment of small and medium-level traders and vendors and urged authorities to ensure that enforcement was carried out uniformly. He warned that if the harassment continued, the trading community could launch a larger protest, hold a sit-in and even consider a Dehradun bandh.
