Kolkata: State urban development and municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul has urged traders across Bengal to help govt implement compliance of fire safety, cleanliness and digital trade licence.Paul was speaking at business conclave “Bengal Bound to Grow’ by Confederation of West Bengal Trade Associations (CWBTA) during its silver jubilee celebrations on Saturday.“Good practices like fire safety compliance, cleanliness and obtaining of trade licence will help trade and commerce flourish in our state. Govt is creating an industry-friendly environment and traders are backbone of the economy. Even as e-commerce is growing, physical trade also needs to undergo transformation,” she said.State industry, commerce and enterprise minister Tapas Roy assured traders of a new environment where they will not have to face extortion or other problems. “Gone are those days. Govt is working on a war footing to ensure that industrialists and traders don’t have to face extortion any more. Traders connect industry to consumers. So, govt, while pushing for industrialisation, is also looking at growth of retail trade in Bengal,” he said.CWBTA is spread over a network of 15 lakh traders across the state. Sushil Poddar, president of this traders’ body, said: “Our focus is to facilitate small industries to grow in the future. We are trying to revive the lost glory of Bengal as a hub of retail trade in eastern India.”
