DMC to initiate digitisation of trade license from May 1

April 19, 2023 48 Views No Comment

• Out of estimated 20,000 registered, only 35-40% renew licensees
• Renew licenses before April 30 or face cancellation, cautions Council

Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 19

The Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) will be streamlining its records of trade license holders into digital format beginning from May 1.

Accordingly, the council cautioned that traders failing to renew their licenses before April 30 would be automatically cancelled.

The trade license holders will have to apply as fresh applicants, informed by DMC Administrator, W Manpai Phom during a press conference in his office at the DMC premises, Kalibari Road, Dimapur on April 18.

This new system will be put in place so as to curb the number of defaulters and to improve the overall revenue generation, he said.

Since 2006 onwards when the trade license regime first began, there were about 20,000 applicants based on the DMC’s records.

However, only around 7,000 to 8, 0000 or 35-40% come for annual renewal, the Administrator informed.

“So we are hopeful that the digitisation process will help enable us to streamline the entire process,” he noted.

Under the new regime, he explained certain terms and conditions will have to be followed by all those seeking to avail fresh license from May 1 onwards. This includes the payment of a security deposit equivalent to the annual trade license fee and a waiting period of 12 months given for renewal process.

“For those who fail to renew their license after the end of the waiting period, it will be automatically cancelled and the deposited amount will be forfeited by the DMC,” he added.

As the whole system will be digital based, each applicant will be given a unique QR code where they can access the necessary information, the Administrator informed.

It was also revealed that a consultative meeting was held with all the Dimapur-based apex organisations on April 6 regarding the issue.

“We have shared our agenda and on their part, they have expressed their full cooperation and support on this matter,” Phom maintained.

To help with the digitisation of their records, he informed that they have taken the help of Easy Merchant, a Guwahati-based developer.

As such, he appealed to all the trade license holders to come for renewal before the deadline.

Mass clean-up programme
In addition, Phom announced that the DMC will be conducting a mass clean-up programme of all the drains within its jurisdiction before the onset of the monsoon season in coordination with ward committee members and colony councils.

A major focus of the operation will also be at the Lengrijan nullah and the District Hospital nullah where dumping of garbage have been major cause of concern as it leads to flood-like situation in the adjoining areas.

The DMC will be looking into ways to improve garbage collection with the help of sanitation committee members of each ward and colony, he noted.

The whole initiative has been in relation to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directives to come up with remedial measures for solid-waste management system under Dimapur municipal area.

In this connection, the Administrator appealed for cooperation and support from all the citizens to tackle these issues.