North MCD rolls back its order of raising licence fees, Atishi calls it 'victory'

New Delhi: The North MCD has rolled back its order of raising licence fees after the AAP built pressure on it. AAP's MlA Atishi Marlena termed the move as a victory for the traders and said that more that five lakh traders had participated in the Signature campaign launched by her party against the rising trade and factory licence fees.

"The licence fee of category A and B licences was increased from Rs 500 to Rs 8,625. And the licence fee of category C and D licences was increased from Rs 500 per meter to Rs 5,750 per meter. I don't think that we have ever seen such a big increase in the licence fees meant for factories and shopkeepers in the past few years," she said.

The AAP leader said that AAP has demanded that EDMC and SDMC should withdraw their decision of increasing the licence fees like the North MCD.

She said that the shopkeepers and traders who have deposited the hiked fee should be given their money back. "AAP's opposition also forced the MCD to withdraw its proposal of giving weekly bazaars to private contractors," she said.

She said that her party also opposed the proposal to give weekly markets to private contractors which used to be operated by local RWAs and local associations. "The people who set up stalls in these bazaars are not any big industrialists but very small shop owners or stall owners. If you steal their livelihood and give it to the private contractors, where will they go?" she questioned.