The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is planning to simplify the system of issuing and renewing trade and storage licences by renewing the old policy and streamlining the process.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Delhi Mayor Kanwar Sain said: “Under the DMC Act, 1957, it is obligatory on the part of traders to obtain licence for running a trade and storing goods and material. According to an estimate, there are 8 lakh traders in the city of whom only 55,000 are registered.
It has been found that most traders find the procedure for obtaining licence cumbersome and time-consuming and are thus hesitant. It also affects revenue generation of the civic body to the tune of Rs.100 crore.”
The new practice to be adopted by the civic body for issuance of trade and storage licences to ensure convenience and standardisation of procedure would include acceptance of an affidavit instead of multiple documents, fixing of time limit for issuance of new licence to within 30 days of submission of documents, automatic licence renewal through zonal office subsequent to granting of storage licence unless there is a violation of terms and conditions, and issuance of provisional licence to all applicants of new trade.
A number of new trades would also be brought under the ambit of the renewed policy. These include trade and storage activities pertaining to computers and computers peripherals, branded shops in malls, branded eateries, home appliances, furnishings, mobiles, saloons and spa services, financial service offices and branded gyms.
Also, henceforth all trade licences would be in the format of a bio-cryptic bar-coded certificate and all licensed units would have to mandatorily display this certificate to facilitate easy identification. Furthermore, irrespective of whether trade or storage licence fee is payable or not, all premises would now have to get registered with the MCD and all holders of ad hoc licences would have to apply afresh for a new licence.
