VARANATION: Micro Retailer of the Paan Banarasi (Sirih) associated with the Varanasi Shop Owner Association (VPSOA) has increased a strong objection to the draft proposal for the license mandate to sell tobacco products.
VPSOA has sent a memorandum to the Commissioner of Mayor and the city that accuses that the provision of licenses to sell tobacco products is being brought based on the pressure of anti-tobacco NGOs, which conspire to shift the tobacco business to foreign companies, supermarkets and mal-malls with livelihood costs.
From Lakh small shop waiters.
VPSOA President Siya Ram Varma on Thursday said, “Against the Proposal of the Urban Development Department, the Uttar Pradesh Government who mandated a separate license for retailers who sell tobacco products including paan, bidi and cigarettes, we filed a memorandum to the Mayor and Commissioner of the city on Wednesday.
We App for them to ensure that this proposal was withdrawn before enforcing because it would have an impact on more than 30,000 micro retailers who lived in over two lakh people, including their families dependent.
“VPSoa accused that this provision will bring back licenses in the state, which will provide tools to officials concerned to harass poor micro retailers and most are not educated.
“This will cause a sharp increase in their costs in doing business when retailers are severely beaten by locking Covid-19,” Verma said added that the average pre-locking income from a small retailer was Rs 4,000-Rs 8,000 per month but down to 60% -70% during frequent locking periods.
“When this small retailer needs financial assistance, the implementation of such a proposal will break their backbone,” he said.
He accused that it was for banning advertising and trade and trade and trade, production, supply, and distribution laws, 2003 or COTPA and the rules below, this small trader has experienced daily harassment during urban development departments that are planning harder provisions.
He accused that there was no such law that had to be brought based on the pressure of the anti-tobacco NGO because they were interested in moving the benefits of retail business tobacco to foreign companies, supermarkets and malls that hurt the livelihoods of small shop owners.