Cooch Behar: The Cooch Behar District Traders Association enforced a 24-hour business shutdown after their demands, including a
reduction in taxes, went unmet. On Friday, all shops across Cooch Behar town remained closed, causing inconvenience to residents. Markets and shops in areas like Bhavani Ganj Bazar and New Bazar were shut down, except for pharmacy stores.
Suraj Ghosh, Secretary of the District Traders Association, remarked: “The strike in the municipal area has been successful. Traders have been burdened with exorbitant taxes imposed by the municipality. Despite repeated pleas over two years, our demands were not addressed. Therefore, we had no choice but to call for a 24-hour business shutdown to assert our demands.”
Responding to the shutdown, Cooch Behar Municipality Chairman Rabindranath Ghosh stated: “Municipal decisions are made collectively by the municipal board, not by the chairman alone. This shutdown is not solely initiated by the trade association; it appears to be intentional.
The strike has garnered support from political parties like BJP, CPI(M) and others, aiming to disrupt municipal operations. Political involvement seems apparent in this strike. It’s worth noting that trade associations cannot claim ownership of stalls belonging to the municipality, such as those in Bhavani Ganj market.”