The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : 12-hour Cuttack bandh total for traders

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Friday, Jan 04, 2008
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12-hour Cuttack bandh total for traders

Correspondent

It is in protest against opening of Reliance retail outlets

CUTTACK: Shops and business establishments downed their shutters on Thursday as the city observed a dawn-to-dusk bandh. Barring trade and business, the bandh had no effect on normal life of people since the 12-hour bandh was called by the All Orissa small and street vendors confederation to protest against opening of Reliance retail outlets in the city.

Business establishments in Malgodown, Chhatrabazar, Buxibazar, College Square, Ranihat, Choudhury Bazaar and market complexes in many parts of the city downed their shutters in support of the bandh.

No untoward incident was reported from any part of the city as shopkeepers closed their establishments spontaneously.

Two outlets called “RelianceFresh” selling retail items like grocery, vegetables, fruits and some selected items of Reliance have opened in the city, one each at Mahanadi Vihar and Abhinav Bidanasi.

These outlets had also downed their shutters on the day as protestors picketed in front of these shops. The Reliance industry is planning to open four such outlets in the city in near future, sources said.

Rally taken out

More than 1000 shopkeepers of the city took out a rally from railway station. Passing through the main thoroughfares, the protestors later staged a protest meeting in front of the district Collector’s office.

The local bazaar committee heads and members of the puja committees throwing their weight behind the bandh also participated in the protest meeting.

Business worth nearly Rs 30 crore must have been affected due to the 12-hour bandh in Cuttack as the biggest grocery and vegetable market in the city at Malgodown and Chhatra bazaar remained closed, said State traders federation chief B K Mohanty

“We demand that the State Government immediately ban the multi-crore company to open retail outlets in the residential colonies of the city”, said confederation chief Subash Singh.

The company could very well deal with wholesale trade and it should be asked to open its godowns outside the city limits, Mr Singh said.

He also demanded that vending zones be opened in the millennium city like in Bhubaneswar to help small retail shops eke out a living.

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