Coal town traders are planning a phase wise protest against the multitude of taxes levied by Dhanbad Municipal Corporation at a time of economic distress due to lack of any business activities during the state-wide partial lockdown.

The traders are against the prerequisite of having a holding tax receipt for issuance of a trade licence fee by the DMC. They claimed that the civic body was going back on its promise of issuing trade licenses for three months to all applicants irrespective of a holding tax submission receipt.

The rule has affected those from Jharia because very few have a holding tax receipt from the civic body as they pay taxes to the Jharkhand Mineral Area Development Authority.

President of Jharia Chamber of Commerce, Amit Sahu said, “When the DMC organised trade license camp at different places across the district including Jharia in February this year, the traders of Jharia were assured that holding tax payment receipt of DMC is not required for getting trade license and therefore we participated in camp in large numbers but now when we are demanding trade license, DMC authorities are claiming that trade license can be issued to only those with DMC holding tax receipt.”

“Why should we pay the holding tax to DMC when we are already paying the same to JMADA,” said Sahu and added that they would submit a letter of protest to DMC authorities.

Prabhat Surolia, president of Bank More Chamber of Commerce said, “Though trade licence fees are only an extra burden on us when we are already paying the GST but we somehow agreed to pay the trade license fee but this precondition of DMC holding tax receipt for trade license fee is not acceptable.”

“During the time of holding of trade license camps by DMC we pointed out to DMC authorities that putting precondition of having holding tax receipt is not right as many traders who run their outlets from rented accommodation can’t submit the same as their landlords don’t have holding tax payment receipts,” said Surolia and added that though the DMC authorities promised them that holding tax receipt is not mandatory but they are denying the trade license certificates on account of non payment of holding tax.