The Bajali Sub-divisional administration in Barpeta district on Monday stopped booking and selling of vehicles in Poddar Car World showroom – Maruti Suzuki Arena – at Pathsala and the showroom was sealed for the second time.
The Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil) of Bajali Sub-division informed this after a team of the sub-divisional administration visited the newly-constructed showroom following complaints from locals.
During the visit of the sub-divisional team, the showroom authority failed to produce any trade licence neither from the district transport department nor the town committee after which the team stopped booking and selling of cars before acquiring proper permission from the authorities concerned.
Apurba Nath, Executive Magistrate of the district, who went to the showroom as a customer, enquired whether booking and selling of new cars was going on in the showroom.
Informing this, Nath told media persons, “I asked one of the employees of the showroom as a customer whether booking of new cars was going on and he confirmed booking of cars. By starting booking of cars in the showroom without having proper permission for the same is violation of law.”
Then the Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil) of Bajali Sub-division, Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, sealed showroom as the the showroom authority had no valid license and trade license or NOC.
Executive Magistrate Apurba Nath also informed that they would serve notice to the showroom authority through the Town Committee too and the District Transport Officer would also be intimated in this regard.
Himangshu Das, Enforcement Officer, Barpeta district, also arrived at the car showroom in Pathsala and stopped the business activities in the showroom for having no proper document to do the same.
This was for the second time that the showroom was closed down.
Also read: Assam: Poddar’s car showroom sealed in Pathsala
Meanwhile, the Bajali Zila Committee president of Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad, Mridul Talukdar, alleged that the manager employed in the showroom had misbehaved with the members of their organisation, locals and even media persons.
Talukdat demanded that local unemployed persons be employed in the showroom and urged the higher authority of the Poddar Car World to remove the manager from the area with immediate effect.
While welcoming the sub-divisional administration’s initiative to close down the showroom for running it without acquiring proper documents, the AJYCP leader also threatened to lock the showroom if they fail to fulfil the required terms and conditions and trade license within 10 days.
It may be mentioned that a few days back, a team from the District Transport Office in Barpeta, led by the District Transport Officer, Gautam Das, Enforcement Officer Himangshu Das, had inspected the showroom.
During the inspection of the District Transport Department team, the showroom authority had failed to produce trade licence, trade certificate and other documents.
Then, the DTO closed down the showroom and asked the showroom authority to acquire all required documents within a week. But they turned a deaf ear to the instructions of the District Transport Department.