Party Accuses BJP Government of Scrapping Gumashta System Without Adequate Preparation; Demands Immediate Software Upgrade and Training
TFP Bureau, Raipur, May 28,2026: The Congress on Tuesday alleged that more than 50,000 people across Chhattisgarh have been unable to start their businesses due to delays in the issuance of trade licenses following the abolition of the earlier Gumashta license system by the BJP government.
Senior Congress spokesperson Dhananjay Singh Thakur claimed that while the state government made trade licenses mandatory for business operations after discontinuing the Gumashta system, it failed to establish an effective mechanism for processing and issuing the new licenses.
Addressing the media, Mr. Thakur alleged that negligence on the part of Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society (CHiPS) has resulted in over 50,000 applicants being unable to obtain trade licenses needed to begin self-employment ventures. He further claimed that renewal applications of thousands of existing license holders are also pending.
According to the Congress leader, under the previous Congress government, traders and small business owners were issued lifetime Gumashta licenses through local civic bodies in a hassle-free manner. However, he alleged that the BJP government abolished the system as part of a “profit-oriented policy” and introduced a new trade licensing framework without adequate preparation.
Mr. Thakur said the new system imposes trade license fees on a per square foot basis, with varying fee structures across different urban local bodies. He also pointed out that trade licenses have now been made compulsory for street vendors, hawkers, and operators of mobile business vehicles.
He alleged that despite the policy change, the software system required for processing trade licenses remains outdated and has not been properly updated. Officials, municipal staff, and operators of Choice Centers allegedly have not received adequate training, resulting in applications being accepted but not processed efficiently.
Questioning the government’s preparedness, Dhananjay Singh Thakur asked why the Gumashta licensing process was discontinued when the administration was not equipped to implement the new trade license system effectively.
“The common trader and unemployed youth are suffering because of the government machinery’s failure,” he alleged.
The Congress demanded immediate upgrading of the trade license software system, urgent training for officials and Choice Center operators, and provisional permission for applicants awaiting licenses so they can begin their business operations without further delay.
