Physical Verification of Trade Licences for Shops in Gangtok to Begin – All You Need to Know!

Gangtok: The Gangtok Municipal Corporation (GMC) will begin conducting physical verifications of shops and business establishments from March 26 to ensure that trade licences are not being sublet, officials said on Monday. 

The renewal of trade licences for the upcoming financial year will depend on whether traders are conducting business with a legitimate licence issued directly to them by the GMC, an official statement said. 

As per officials, business owners are required to display their trade licence prominently at their place of business and present a fresh No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the building owner. 

A verification slip will be provided to each licence holder, which must be uploaded during the renewal process for the 2025-26 financial year, they added. 

It is also important to note that the state government recently warned that trade licences could be revoked if local businesses are found to be subletting to individuals from outside the state, officials warned. 

Meanwhile on February 11, Sikkim's Director General of Police (DGP) Akshay Sachdeva issued a clarification, exempting tenants who can provide documents proving their domicile in the state. 

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Those holding a Sikkim Subject Certificate, Certificate of Identification, Voter ID Card for a Sikkim constituency, Sikkim land documents, or a Sikkim residential certificate are not required to undergo the verification process. 

This clarification followed an earlier announcement on January 31, which had initially included holders of Sikkim documents in the verification requirement.