NEW DELHI: Turning down the requests of traders to submit their forms manually for registration of shops on 2,183 newly-notified roads, those engaged in 25 small trades and business and four types of professionals, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Tuesday said it has rectified the problem in its server so that it could handle more number of traders visiting its website.

Citizen Service Bureaus

Stating that the MCD has also decided to ask its personnel deployed in its Citizen Service Bureaus (CSBs) to assist traders in filling up their forms and answer their queries, a senior MCD official said the format of registration forms has been designed in such a way that it could be accepted only online. Therefore, accepting forms manually would create problems and delay the registration process, he added. "Initially, the problem was that the website could only handle not more than 10,000 hits at a time. With more number of traders visiting the website, it led to technical problems. But now a dedicated team is looking after the website's functioning and we have also upgraded the website. Now the system is working fine," claimed the official, adding that around 25,000 traders have so far submitted their forms.

"We have also decided to dedicate computers at our CSBs for this work only for this entire week. In each of the 13 CSBs -- one each in all the 12 zones and one at MCD headquarters at Town Hall -- there are three to six computers.

Now traders can just visit these CSBs and get their registration forms filled online," the official added. However, traders are not happy and are still demanding that the MCD to start accepting the forms manually.

"The website is still not working smoothly with traders facing several problems in failing the forms. We are running short of time. Unless the forms are accepted manually, all the traders would not be able to get their shops registered with the civic body," said Confederation of All-India Traders general secretary Praveen Khandelwal. More than three-lakh traders are supposed to get their shops registered with the MCD as per the Supreme Court orders. The last date for registration is December 31, 2006.

Administration

Similarly, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has also blamed the MCD administration for not able to solve traders' problems. "Despite assurances at the MCD Standing Committee meeting, Municipal Commissioner A. K. Nigam has failed to open up additional counters to address queries of traders or facilitate submission of registration forms. Similarly, he has not clarified regarding the status of shops functioning prior of 1962 and those operating from the DDA flats," charged senior BJP Councillor Vijender Gupta.

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