(1) After six months from the commencement of this Act in any area, no person shall, within any market in such area, carry on business or act as a broker, commission agent, weighman, measurer or warehouseman or sell or purchase for resale any prescribed article or set-up, establish or continue a stall, shed or other structure for storage, sale or purchase for resale of such article, except under and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a licence issued in this behalf under sub-section (2):
Provided that—
(i) it shall not be necessary for any local authority to take out any licence under this section;
(ii) the State Government may, in the public interest, by notification in the Official Gazette, exempt such classes of sellers or purchasers for resale as may be specified in such notification from the operation of this section.
(2) Any person desiring to obtain a licence under subsection (1) may make an application to the concerned market committee in such form as may be prescribed.
(3) On receipt of an application under sub-section (2), the market committee may issue the licence in such form and subject to such terms and conditions as may be prescribed and on payment of fees at such rates, not exceeding such maximum rates as may be prescribed, as the market committee may determine.
(4) Any licence issued under sub-section (3) may he renewed by the market committee from time to time on application made in this behalf by the licensee and on payment of a fee equal to the fee payable for the issue of such licence in the first instance.
The West Bengal Markets Regulation Act, 1968. 11 28 Of 1968.]
(5) The market committee may refuse to issue or renew any licence under this section in favour of any person if it is satisfied that such person has previously been convicted by a court( of law for an offence punishable under this Act