Around 500 traders and merchants on Friday staged a protest in front of the Head Post Office here, urging the Union government to ban online trading.
The office-bearers of 85 associations assembled under the banner of the Puducherry Traders’ Federation here urged the Territorial Administration to constitute a Welfare Board to address their grievances.
Federation president Sivasankar said that even though Chief Minister N.Rangasamy had made announcements to establish a board several times, nothing had materialised so far.
He said the dharna was staged to demand that the BJP-led NDA government ban online trading which was eating into government revenue as well and resulting in customers often not getting quality goods.
The traders urged the Union government to bring necessary amendments to the Food Security Act so as to ensure that the welfare of traders was not affected. They also wanted implementation of the Act fixing wages for loading and unloading of goods.