Rehri markets giving city shopkeepers a run for their money

CHANDIGARH: Parallel markets have emerged as a cause for concern for city shopkeepers. Rehri markets, exhibitions and sales at hotels and public bhawans are having an adverse effect on the business of shopkeepers in SCOs and SCFs.
Take for instance the rehri markets. A majority of these now sell a broad range of items from clothes to utensils. Interestingly, these markets are said to be giving serious competition to the shops in SCO and SCFs.
Says Arvind Jain, president of Sector 22D market welfare association, "We had purchased the plots at commercial rates.At that time, there were no parallel markets in the city."
Shopkeepers say that these markets have come up over the years, largely on account of the political pressure on the administration and have been set up on green areas of the city.
The booths and land auctioned by the administration are said to have appreciated in value over the years with the owners selling or further subletting these to others in a number of cases, thus defeating the very purpose of giving these out in the first place.
In a number of cases, persons encroaching on public land are said to have been rehabilitated in the rehri markets. Shopkeepers suggest that all sites for rehri markets should be auctioned for a period of six months to a year so that the allottees do not sell these.
The administration also ought to conduct an identity check of the leaseholders at the end of the year. Sales and exhibitions organised in hotels and public bhawans too have emerged as another serious issue. These sales are said to be causing a loss to the administration in terms of non-payment of sales tax.
Furthermore, a consumer with a grievance regarding the goods purchased at these sales does not have recourse to any remedial measures after the sale or the exhibition is over.
Shopkeepers suggest that the organisers of these events should be made to deposit a security deposit with the administration so that they can be held accountable from the consumer point of view after the event is over.
The participants at these events should have a sales tax number to check sales tax evasion.
Shopkeepers say that there is a need for the administration to set up a committee with participation of trader bodies to look into the various issues.