Royapuram has 50 pc shops, reveals survey

The GIS survey conducted a few months ago had enumerated around 1.19 lakh traders (shops and commercial establishments) in the city, of which around 55,000 are in Royapuram zone itself. An order issued by the civic body to the revenue wing said licence inspectors should verify the trades in division 57, where 15,070 trades are situated.

The division comprises key commercial areas like George Town, Sowcarpet, Park Town and Elephant Gate. Licence inspectors from other zones also have been deputed to visit the trades on the 85 streets in the division; each of them would cover 300 shops. The survey, which started on Thursday, should be completed by January 24, the order added.

An official said similar verification surveys have been planned in other zones, too. “Priority will be given based on the number of shops identified during the GIS survey; the divisions with more trades will be covered first. This will bring all shops under the civic body purview,” the official added.

Meanwhile, a field level official pointed out that the GIS survey was conducted before the pandemic. “Some of those shops might have closed or shifted. There is a chance that new shops could have come. Due to this, there would be several mismatches between the GIS data and ongoing survey data,” he said.

Presently, less than 80,000 shops in the city are functioning with trade licences, though officials estimate that the actual number would be more than 1.50 lakh shops in the city. Apart from paying licence charges to the civic body, owners should also pay professional taxes for their staff.

“When they identify unlicenced shops, the officials will ensure that the ship owners apply for licence or or seal the shops,” the official said.