August 8: City retail traders have threatened to stage a dharna protesting Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's decision to charge them `refuse' tax to fund its cleanliness drive.

Two weeks ago Municipal Commissioner Girish Gokhale had announced that each retail trader would be charged Rs 50 per month as maintenance charge to keep the major roads and streets of Mumbai clean. The civic chief felt that the major pathways, now cleared only once a day, need to be swept twice every day. Non-governmental organisations would be involved in this drive and the expenses is proposed to be recovered from the traders.

However, retail traders are upset over the decision. Jivraj Sewriwala, general secretary, Federation of Retail Traders' Association, held the hawkers and other small traders responsible for littering the roads. ``The BMC should charge them,'' he said.

The traders held a meeting to oppose BMC's new fund raising methods. Sewriwala informed that the traders will stage dharna on August 16 if the civic administration does not withdraw its decision by August 15. A traders' delegation will meet Gokhale in this regard.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.