Over 1,200 decorators and tent house owners in the district are up in arms against the Dhanbad Municipal Corporation following a recent order making trade, labour and catering licenses mandatory for working in marriage halls in the area.

Disagreeing with the decision, a delegation of Dhanbad Zila Decorator Association on Thursday met the district municipal commissioner Satyendra Kumar. Traders will have to close their businesses if the decision is implemented, the delegation, led by its president Pradeep Kumar Singh, said.

The protesters are especially concerned over the DMC’s decision of imposing a registration charge of Rs 5,000 on the pandemic-battered businessmen.

The representatives complained that due to lack of business, they were finding it difficult to even pay the rent of the gowdowns used to store equipment.

“Majority of our members are facing the worst time of their lives due to cancellation of all major functions amid the pandemic. Imposing such a rule, especially the hefty registration charge, is totally illogical,” Singh told the media.

Vinod Rawani, a decorator of the Godhar area in the district said he could do no business from March 22 to November 25 last year, and could not even pay his EMIs during the time.

“We got entrenched and debt and the minor income earned during the wedding season was insufficient to compensate for.the loss of eight months,” he said.