Date:15/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/15/stories/2007031521620500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

BBMP simplifies licence procedure

Staff Reporter

New system comes into force today; March 31 last date to get licence

For those applying before March 31 licence will be issued before inspection

Fresh licence will be issued within seven days if all the papers are submitted

BANGALORE: To regulate public health, strictly enforce licence rules and avoid harassment by officials, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has launched a simplified trade licence scheme, which will take effect from Thursday.

BBMP Joint Commissioner (Works) Harsh Gupta told presspersons that the new scheme was a simplified version of the "Sarala Udyama Paravanige" that was launched in March 2003.

"This simplified scheme had been launched on a mission mode to facilitate all traders to obtain a licence from a single counter. Those who apply for renewal between March 15 and March 31 will be issued a licence without the mandatory inspection by health officials. The inspection will be conducted later and the licence liable to be cancelled or suspended if the trader is found to flout norms," he said.

Deputy Commissioner (Resources and Reforms) Vasanth Rao, who drafted the booklet on the scheme, said the book had all the necessary information on getting a trade licence. Fresh licences would be issued within seven days from the date of applying if the papers were in order and renewal would be done within 24 hours, he said. "In the past, if a person carried out multiple trades, he had to obtain separate licences for each of the trade.

Now, only one licence will do for several multiple trades. Priced at Rs. 50 each, the booklet had clear guidelines on how to apply for renewals and the process of getting a new licence.

Penalty

Those who did not get their licence renewed or obtain a new licence by March 31 will have to pay a penalty of 25 per cent of the fee payable till April 15. For applications received after that, the penalty will be equal to the fee.

Fee increased

The licence fee, which was last revised in 1999, had been increased now to meet the administrative costs. The increased revenue from the licence fee would be used to set up more food testing laboratories.

The application form, included in the trade licence book, could be filled up and submitted either at the office of the concerned Medical officer of Health (MoH) or at the 120 special counters being set up in the offices of the Zonal Deputy Commissioner, the four Citizen Service Centres, BangaloreOne centres and the BBMP head office.