TRADERS STAGE PROTEST RALLY AGAINST FDI IN RETAIL, E COMMERCE & DELHI SEALING
Thousands of traders from Delhi and across Country today staged a strong protest rally at New Delhi demanding the Government to announce a policy on e commerce and stop allowing FDI in Retail Trade and withdraw FDI in Retail declared so far. The traders also demanded the Government to bring a Bill in current session of the Parliament to stop sealing in Delhi or bring an ordinance soon after the current session. The Rally in a unanimous resolution said that E Commerce & FDI in Retail has vitiated the business atmosphere in the Country to a great extent since there is no check and balances of the Government.
CAIT National Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal while addressing the Rally demanded the Government to immediately look in to the issues raised by the traders and take immediate necessary steps. He said that E Commerce and FDI in Retail is cancerous for the retail trade of the Country which in turn will adversely affect the national economy in times to come. He said that CAIT on the strength of 7 crore small businesses will launch a nationwide agitation and the strategy of which will be finalised in forthcoming meeting of National Governing Council of CAIT on 12-13 January at Bhopal. He also released a 16 Points National Charter of the traders at the Rally.
CAIT National President Mr. B.C.Bhartia said that unchecked e commerce and FDI in Retail has wreck the bone of domestic retail trade. The MNCs and big corporate are adopting all kinds of unhealthy practices to capture and dominate the retail trade. It is sad that few of big corporate are hand in gloves with these MNCs for their ulterior motives. Even after drawing attention of the Government many times, no action has been taken against these companies. In absence of any policy mechanism these Companies are free to play the game on their own terms. To rein these companies a robust E Commerce Policy is need of the hour and no further permission to any sort of FDI in retail trade.
CAIT Senior Vice President Shri Brijmohan Agarwal informed that the CAIT had launched a Sampoorn Retail Kranti Rath Yatra on 15th September from Red Fort in New Delhi which travelled about 400 Cities in 26 States covering a distance of about 23 thousand kilometres in 93 days and percolate a strong message about the dilapidated condition of retail trade in India.
Mr. Khandelwal further said sealing of business establishments in Delhi has created havoc in trading fraternity of Delhi. The trade is undergoing in atmosphere of uncertainty. No Government Agency has definite and correct knowledge about sealing which has resulted into loss of business in Delhi past few years. The outstation traders are reluctant to come to Delhi for purchases and as such the centuries old distributive character of Delhi trade is highly distorted. He also said that it is more than a year when thousands of shops were sealed and in spite of Central Government bringing amendments in the Master Plan, the shops are not being de-sealed. The Monitoring Committee has adopted an adamant attitude. Therefore, to protect Delhi trade, the Government should bring a Bill in current session of the Parliament to stop sealing.