Cuttack: The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has initiated measures to identify commercial entities operating in the city without obtaining trade licence.
The civic body has constituted a special team to identify commercial entities having no trade licence, said CMC secretary Latashri Bagh.
All commercial institutions starting from commercial banks to government canteens require trade licence to operate within the territorial jurisdiction of CMC.
As per the existing guidelines, commercial entities can apply for both online and offline modes for trade licence from the CMC.
After receiving the applications, CMC officials inspect commercial institutions and check their transaction details to fix the required fees for trade licence, sources said.
Commercial institutions will be provided with the trade licence within 15 days of the payment of fees, CMC sources said.
However, the CMC constitution does not recommend any strict action and penalty against the commercial organisations operating without trade licence.
Taking advantage of the situation, hundreds of commercial organisations in the Silver City have been operating without getting the licence.
“Members of our special team and all tax collectors and ward officers of the CMC have been directed to identify the commercial institutions having no trade licence. The CMC council meeting will deliberate on the issue and decide what action will be taken against such entities,” Bagh said.
The owners of many commercial organisations in the city, meanwhile, claimed that they were not aware of the CMC trade licence.
“CMC authorities have never told us anything with regard to the trade licence. They should first create awareness in this regard among the traders and businessmen,” said the owner of a commercial organisation.