Sept. 12: The Guwahati Municipal Corporation has decided to go ahead with its move to increase market tax and room rental of the corporation markets despite stiff opposition, protest and agitation by traders.

A GMC official said the move had been delayed for a long time and considering the rise in prices of commodities over the years, the hike was absolutely justified.

The claim of traders that the hike will enhance the financial burden on them is totally false and motivated to mislead the public, he added.

“The income of traders and vendors at GMC markets has increased manifold over the years. The number customers visiting and buying commodities from these markets are increasing everyday in view of the fast growth of the city. So the corporation does not find any reason why the traders cannot pay a reasonable hike in market tax and room rental. The lame excuse of traders cannot be accepted,” the official said.

The traders of Kachari Bazar, the city’s oldest market, last month staged a sit-in against increase in market taxes by the GMC. They said the increase in the tax would be a big blow for the small traders.

On the other hand, the traders of several GMC markets, including Fancy Bazar, Ganeshguri, Beltola and Chandmari, are opposing the hike in the room rental. They claimed that the corporation has no right to introduce the hike since it has not done anything to develop the infrastructure of the markets. The market committees submitted memoranda to the GMC commissioner on the issue.

While admitting the deplorable condition of some of the markets, the official said the corporation needs funds to renovate the markets for which it needs to enhance its revenue collection. He said the GMC’s plan to develop the markets in public-private partnership model had also been jeopardised because of opposition by the traders.

“We will soon invite the representatives of various markets to discuss the issue and come to a suitable settlement. Traders have to understand the GMC’s financial situation and co-operate.

The hike is totally within their capacity,” he said.

An office bearer of Kachari Bazar Unnayan Samiti said the samiti was waiting for the meeting and would take a decision later. He said the samiti would want a revision in the percentage of hike in market tax.