Post drop in cases, traders return to Chennai

As per data available with the Chennai Corporation, the civic body has issued 5,228 new trade licences during the current financial year (2021-2022) between April and October. This is almost double the number of licences issued during the same period in the 2020-2021 financial year.

Moreover, the number of new licences increased after the second wave started to ebb away in July, August and September. During the period, more than 3,000 applications were received and more than 2,600 of them were approved.

“During the pandemic, several shop owners closed down shops and returned to their native. Now, they are returning to the city and resuming their business. This accounts for the new trade licences. Also, several shops have opened in place of the old ones,” a Corporation official said.

In the 2018-2019 financial year, before the outbreak of the pandemic, the Chennai Corporation had issued 11,517 trade licences and the number was reduced in 2019-2020 to 10,948. This was further reduced to 7,315 in 2020-2021. The official added that another reason for the increase in such licences was that revenue staff deployed in COVID-19 works resumed their regular work.

AM Vikramaraja, state president, Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu, said that a new norm introduced by the government is also a reason for more applications. “Earlier, only traders with GST number could enroll in traders’ welfare board. Now, the norm has been relaxed as those with just licences can enrol in the board. This has encouraged more people to apply,” he explained. He opined that more traders would apply once the civic body conducts special camps at zonal level. “Around 17 per cent of the traders are yet to return from their hometowns,” he said.