Traders of Dhanbad on Monday protested against the Dhanbad Municipal Corporation’s decision to impose user charges, following a recent direction of the state urban development department, terming it unnecessary and exorbitant.

A delegation of the Bank More Chamber of Commerce, led by its president Prabhat Surolia, met Dhanbad Municipal Commissioner, Chandramohan Kashyap on Monday.

They expressed reservations over the issue and appealed to him to withdraw the decision to impose the user charges.

Kashyap, however, expressed his inability to help them as the decision had been taken by the state urban development department.

He said they had no authority to take decisions on their own.

The president of the Bank More Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Prabhat Surolia, told The Telegraph Online, “As the realisation of user charges is to be carried out by DMC, we have petitioned the municipal commissioner today. If need be, we will also raise the issue with the state urban development department, while continuing the protest at the local level.”

“We are already paying all kinds of taxes including holding tax, income tax and GST. Further charges will greatly affect our business, which is already at its lowest ebb. Traders are struggling to recuperate after permission given by the state government to open shops,” said Surolia.

“The rate of the user charges are also exorbitant. If Rs 1,000 per month is fixed for main market retail outlets, the annual user charges will be around Rs 12,000 per annum,” said Surolia.

According to the charges fixed by the Municipal Corporation, to be realised by Ramky Enviro Engineers, economically weaker sections of society will have to pay Rs 20 per month and the lower, middle and higher income groups will have to pay user charges of Rs 30, Rs 50 and Rs 80 per month respectively.

For hotels and guest houses with 10 rooms, a user charge of Rs 1,000 per month has been fixed.

For ones with 11 to 20 rooms, 21 to 30 rooms, 31 to 50 rooms and hotels restaurants of above 50 rooms, user charges of Rs 1,500, Rs 2,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 per month were fixed.

In Dharamshala, restaurants, bakeries, food courts, sweets shops, fast food centres, street food sellers and tea shops will be charged Rs 800, Rs 1,500, Rs 1,000, Rs 1,000, Rs 500, Rs 200 and Rs 100 has been fixed.

Shopping complexes and malls will have to pay Rs 10,000 per month and cinema halls will be required to pay Rs 5,000 per month.

Wholesale shops will have to pay user charges of Rs 1,500 per month.

Retail outlets in the main market will pay Rs 1,000 and street retail shops will pay Rs 250 per month.