New Delhi, Dec 19 (KNN) Thousands of traders from Delhi and across country today staged a strong protest rally in New Delhi demanding the government to announce a policy on e-commerce and stop allowing FDI in retail trade and withdraw FDI in retail declared so far.

The traders also demanded the government to bring a bill in current session of the Parliament to stop sealing in Delhi or bring an ordinance soon after the current session. 

The rally in a unanimous resolution said that e-commerce & FDI in retail has vitiated the business atmosphere in the country to a great extent since there is no check and balances of the government.

Addressing the rally, National Secretary General of Confederation of All India Traders Association (CAIT) Praveen Khandelwal demanded the government to immediately look in to the issues raised by the traders and take immediate necessary steps.

He said that e-commerce and FDI in retail is cancerous for the retail trade of the country which in turn will adversely affect the national economy in times to come.

“CAIT on the strength of 7 crore small businesses will launch a nationwide agitation and the strategy of which will be finalised in forthcoming meeting of National Governing Council of CAIT on 12-13 January at Bhopal,” he added.

He also released a 16 points national charter of the traders at the rally.

National President of CAIT, B.C. Bhartia said that unchecked e commerce and FDI in retail has wreck the bone of domestic retail trade.

The MNCs and big corporate are adopting all kinds of unhealthy practices to capture and dominate the retail trade, he added.

Further, he pointed “It is sad that few of big corporate are hand in gloves with these MNCs for their ulterior motives. Even after drawing attention of the government many times, no action has been taken against these companies.”

Raising the concerns, Bhartia said that in absence of any policy mechanism these companies are free to play the game on their own terms.

To rein these companies a robust e-commerce policy is need of the hour and no further permission to any sort of FDI in retail trade, he added.

Besides, Khandelwal further said sealing of business establishments in Delhi has created havoc in trading fraternity of Delhi.

He pointed “The trade is undergoing in atmosphere of uncertainty. No government agency has definite and correct knowledge about sealing which has resulted into loss of business in Delhi past few years.”

Also, he strongly raised the point that outstation traders are reluctant to come to Delhi for purchases and as such the centuries old distributive character of Delhi trade is highly distorted.

He also said that it is more than a year when thousands of shops were sealed and in spite of central government bringing amendments in the master plan, the shops are not being de-sealed.