UP traders launch Rath Yatra

Uttar Pradesh traders on Wednesday launched a statewide ‘Rath Yatra’ to highlight important issues facing the traders’ community, including the impact of Multinational Companies (MNCs) and futures trading on smalltime retailers.

The over five-week long ‘Vyapar Bachao, Desh Bacho Rath Yatra’ started from Lucknow and it would traverse nearly 66 of 75 districts in the state. The event would culminate here on December 17 with a massive rally of traders.

The traders under the banner of Akhil Bharatiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal are pressing for their 27 charter of demands from the Central and state governments.

Among others, the prominent issues include inflation, uniform Value Added Tax (VAT) rate across India, rising petroleum prices, corruption in public life, constitution of a high-powered committee for traders, traders’ pension scheme, waiver of license and quota permit etc.

“Our ‘Rath Yatra’ is receiving overwhelming response from the traders along the route,” Mandal president Sandeep Bansal told Business Standard. On the first day, he has covered five districts.

The Yatra assumes greater significance in the wake of UP assembly poll scheduled early next year. In recent years, some prominent traders’ leaders had joined the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with much fanfare, however, now the honeymoon is over.

Similar Yatras are also likely to be launched in other states, such as Madhya Pradesh and Haryana at a later stage, he said.