Surat, March 2: The 195th weekly grievance resolution meeting of the Surat Mercantile Association (SMA) was held on Sunday from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM at Maheshwari Bhavan, Board Room, City Light, led by SMA President Narendra Saboo, along with the core committee and five-panel members, the meeting saw the participation of 155 traders who discussed crucial concerns affecting the business community.
The Shiv Shakti Market fire tragedy, which occurred from February 25 to 27, was a key topic of discussion. The SMA expressed deep sorrow over the incident, calling it one of the most devastating tragedies in Surat’s textile market history. To support the affected traders, the association made a strong appeal to all business owners to cancel this year's Holi celebrations and instead donate the event funds to the Shiv Shakti Market Welfare Trust for relief efforts.
Eight traders from Shiv Shakti Market, who suffered significant losses, also attended the meeting. Their grievances were heard, and SMA’s legal committee member Tushar Agarwal was assigned to expedite their insurance claims and ensure swift compensation to help them restart their businesses.
The meeting also emphasized fire safety awareness, urging traders to:
- Ensure 100% insurance coverage for property, furniture, and stock.
- Install complete fire-fighting systems in shops and markets.
- Conduct regular electrical audits to assess wiring capacity and reduce short-circuit risks.
- Maintain digital backups of business records for financial security.
SMA stressed that both business owners and authorities must take serious steps to prevent such tragedies in the future and safeguard the interests of traders.
The meeting concluded with a refreshment session, attended by key SMA members, including Durgesh Tibdewal, Manoj Agarwal, Rajesh Gurnani, Sandeep Agarwal, Ramkishore Bajaj, Sanjay Agarwal, Advocate Bharat Chauhan, Balkishan Chandak, Shivkumar Agarwal, Ramavatar Sabu, Shyam Jaju, Ghanshyam Chandak, and Ashok Tibdewal.
