Pol year: Govt forms board for traders

The election year has brought cheer for the trading community in Rajasthan. The state BJP government has formed a Vyapari Kalyan Board that will not only help the traders in terms of providing social security and financial aid, but also coordinate with the government to solve their issues.

The board, headed by Chief minister Vasundhara Raje, will have 10 members including principal secretaries from finance, industry and labour departments, besides commercial taxes department commissioner and additional commissioner.

The government had announced the board in this year’s budget, presented on February 12, but work on it gained momentum recently.

Officials said the board will provide social security, insurance schemes and suggest easing of rules and regulations related to business. It will also provide medical and education related grants for the family of traders. In case of untimely death of traders, the board will provide financial aid to the next of kin.

“The board will basically work for the welfare of the traders and act as a bridge between the traders and the state government. The government is also setting up a traders’ welfare fund with a corpus of ₹10 crore,” said an official, who did not wish to be named.

Sources said that senior officials had got in touch with the chairman of Vyapari Kalyan Board of Haryana, Gopal Sharan Garg, in January to take his guidance on formation of the board in Rajasthan. HTC

JAIPUR: