FKCCI set to shut shop in Karnataka from Nov 6

                                   

Around three lakh retailers, 5,000 wholesalers and 1,500 millers are set to shut their shops from November 6 if the state government fails to address their problems including immediate measures to stop raids on warehouses, retail shops and mills who deal with toor dal and other pulses.

According to Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, Chairman, APMC Committee, Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), the retailers, wholesalers and millers have applied for the licence to hold stocks of pulses but the authorities concerned have been delaying the issue of the required documents. "We have been harassed by the food and civil supplies department officials. We are ready to abide by the rules but it is the authorities who are delaying the licences to traders,” said Ramesh Chandra Lahoti.

He said that the traders and millers do not want to stop business activities since it would cause inconvenience to the public. "But we have no other option,” Lahoti said.

Speaking with iamin, M C Dinesh, Senior Vice President, FKCCI, said that the authorities of food and civil supplies should treat honest traders with dignity and not as hoarders. "The FKCCI does not encourage hoarding of pulses but at the same time wants the food and civil supplies authorities to issue the licence to hold stocks of pulses. Let the authorities allow the retailers, wholesalers and millers to continue their businesses till they get the required documents,” Dinesh said.

He said that for many years, in Karnataka, the millers, APMCs and retailers maintained supply and distribution chains and there has been no problem to the consumers. "In the past few weeks, the government not only issued a notification about the need for licence to hold stocks of pulses by traders but even before the traders could receive the notification, they even raided the traders and seized stocks which in most cases were maintained legally. This has disrupted the supply chains that would create needless hardships to the consumers,” he said.

FKCCI’s other demands:

1. The Food and Civil Suppliers Minister should instruct the concerned authorities to issue licences urgently and submission of applications be considered as authorisation to hold valid stocks till then.
2. To give 10 days’ time for the remaining traders to apply for licences.
3. Stop further raids and release seized stocks wherever proper documentation exists. The FKCCI does not support hoarders and other traders who have maintained stocks illegally.