CAIT: e-commerce cos damaging retail, wholesale trade

Traders, under the aegis of the Confederation of All India Traders, submitted a memorandum to the Union Commerce Minister through Lok Sabha member Rita Bahuguna Joshi, alleging that companies dealing with e-commerce were violating FDI rules and thus damaging wholesale and retail trade.

National general secretary (organisation) of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), Sanjay Gupta, said that big e-commerce companies like Amazon, Flipkart and others were violating FDI rules, promising to provide quality products to consumers at a much cheaper rate.

“The functioning of these companies has adversely affected retail business. Both Amazon and Flipkart continue to sell goods on their portal at predatory pricing, deep discounting, controlling inventory, promoting preferential sellers and influencing prices,” Gupta, who is also state chief of Adarsh Vyapar Mandal, said in Lucknow on Friday.

“As part of protest, the CAIT will stage a nation-wide dharna against the attitude of Amazon and Flipkart on November 20. The protests will be held in 200 cities across all states of the country,” Gupta said.

The CAIT delegation was asked to submit a memorandum to members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. As per directive, a delegation led by Sanjay Gupta submitted a memorandum to Rita Bahuguna Joshi.

Joshi said that she would convey the angst of the traders to the Union Commerce Minister.

“This government is sympathetic to the demands of traders and will look into their problems,” she assured the delegation.

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