The organization presently know as “ The Ganjam Chamber of Commerce, Berhampur” traces its origin from the Association known as “ Berhampur Chamber of Commerce” Berhampur (Ganjam) which was established way back in 1942. During the second world war in 1942, some prominent businessmen and intellectuals of Berhampur desired to form an association to cater to the needs of the trading community and to acquaint them with state and union laws concerning trade and commerce and thus Berhampur Chamber of Commerce” came into existance under the presidentship of late T.N.Murty. After rendering service to the trading community of Berhampur for about two and half decades, the “Berhampur Chamber of Commerce” was wound up and it was decided to form “The Ganjam Traders Association”. In a meeting held on 2nd October 1966, a sub-committee was formed to frame rules and regulations for proper functioning of the proposed association. Late Immidisetty Ramamurty who was the convenor was authorised to apply an follow up for the Registration of the association. In another meeting held on 4-12-1966 Draft, Memorandum and Articles were approved and an executive committee was elected consisting of Eleven members. The Executive Committee met on 7-12-1966 and elected Late I.Rama Murty as the 1st President of the Association. Sri Vysyaraju Kedarinatham Raju , Sri T.Viswanadham and Sri Abhimanyu Sabata were elected as Vice- President, Secretary cum Treasurer and Joint Secretary respectively. Thus the Ganjam District Traders Association came into existence and started functioning from 7-12-1966.
Subsequently the members of the General Body of the Association in a meeting held on 21-5-67 resolved to change the name of the Association and as a result the name of the “Ganjam District Trader’s Association” was changed to “The Ganjam Chamber of Commerce” with effect from 1-7-1967. Since then the Ganjam Chamber of Commerce has been functioning smoothly and uninterruptedly protecting the traders interest and making trhem aware of the rules, regulations and the code of conduct etc. regularly.
The District Collector, Ganjam, Chatrapur, while at Berhampur a camp authorised the President of the Ganjam Chamber of Commerce to publish the prices of all essential commodities every fortnight, vide his memo issued on 20-08-68. According the President of the Chamber has been publishing the prices of the essential commodities every fortnight for the information of general public and the traders as well, in the Bulletin entitled Trade Voice. The traders had also been cautioned and instructed to strictly adhere to the prices except on the pains of attracting strong condemnation from the Chamber.
Thanks to the efforts taken by Late P.Parthasarathi, Chartered Accountant, Berhampur, The Ganjam Chamber of Commerce has been registered under the Societies Act XXI of 1860 on 21-12-68. Responsibility of fixing and suggesting the wholesale and retail selling prices of essential commodities from time to time has been entrusted to the Chamber of Commerce by the District Collector. The Chamber while doing so has also been entrusted with the responsibility of appealing and appraising the members not to deviate from the prices so fixed, lest such action may jeopardise the dignified and yeoman services the Chamber has undertaken, for the welfare of the community and the traders also.
The Chamber has conducted several awareness programmes on various statutory acts and rules like Sales Tax, VAT, GST, Income Tax and Central Excise etc. Especially the chamber has conducted many such programmes at the time of introduction of VAT and GST. Recently a major awareness programme on GST was conducted by inviting senior officers from the commercial Tax Department and Learned Cost Accountants, which was attended by around 250 members. As part of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations a series of personality development programmes under ‘VEDA’ were conducted over the last one year. The Chamber has never lagged behind in organising service projects. It has conducted several projects like Polio Immunization Programme, Blood Donation Programme etc. We have always responded at the time of natural calamities and special events by mobilising aid in cash and kind and contributed at the time of Kerala Floods, Phailin, Kargil War etc. The chamber is also represented on various committees like State Advisory Council on GST, Range Level Advisory Committee on GST, Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee, Advisory Committee of Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission etc.
Because of the smooth functioning and rendering of services for the benefit of the community and traders since long, the Ganjam Chamber of Commerce occupies a very important position in the society and has become an indispensable part of it.