Solan traders demand registration of outsiders

Solan traders shut their establishments till 12 noon today on a call given by the Beopar Mandal demanding the registration of outsiders whose number was steeply rising in the city.

The call received an overwhelming support from the traders as well as local residents as the entire Mall Road was choked. The protesters marched through the Chowk Bazaar, Upper Bazaar and the Mall Road shouting slogans.

The traders later submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner demanding the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) comprising officials of the police, municipal corporation and the administration to verify the antecedents of the outsiders, besides immediate directions to the police to do the needful.

Kushal Jethi, president of the Solan Beopar Mandal, said, “No outsider will be permitted to vitiate the peaceful environment of the city. The police should conduct their proper verification as a large number of people congregate especially on Fridays. We do not know where these people are coming from and why they have come here in large numbers,” he added.

He warned officials that in case no action was initiated, they would intensify their stir as people from a particular community were found selling wares at every nook and corner without paying any taxes. This was hitting the traders, who pay taxes to the state government.

The traders also objected to the fact that at least 50 outsiders from a particular community were selling wares at the Thodo Ground where a commercial fair was underway. The government had no knowledge whether they had got the GST registration number or not. State Tax officials should be sent to the Thodo Ground to verify this, they added.

Deputy Commissioner, Solan, Manmohan Sharma assured the traders that a SIT would be constituted within seven days to address their concern and he also added that the tax officials would be directed to examine the outsiders selling wares without paying taxes.