Protests against LBT halt trading activities in commercial capital
Updated: May 06, 2013 03:23:57pm
Mumbai, May 6 (KNN) Over 1.5 million retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers in the country’s commercial capital have launched an indefinite strike against the Maharashtra government's Local Body Tax (LBT) in lieu of octroi, a tax collected at various entry points in the city for entry of goods to be consumed within the area.
Since morning all the retail shopkeepers, wholesale traders in clothes, electronics, hardware, metals, cloth, food grain, fruit, vegetables and all types of manufacturers stopped all types of business and trading activities, causing inconvenience to millions of customers.
"Over a million retailers have wholeheartedly joined the strike from today (Monday), besides another half a million-plus wholesalers and traders in Mumbai, barring certain essentials like pharmacies," said a news report quoting Federation of Retail Traders' Welfare Association (FRTWA) President Viren Shah.
The FRTWA has joined its over one million counterparts in the rest of the state, large sections of which have been on regular strike and agitations since April 22, following a call by the Confederation of All India Traders.
"If the state government does not roll back the LBT and revert to octroi, it will mean a loss of around Rs 5 million per day in Mumbai alone," Shah warned, adding that the losses for the entire state were being tabulated.
"We do not want the LBT under any circumstances. We shall surrender our LBT registration soon if the government does not withdraw it," added the President.
A petition by a Pune trade body challenging the LBT will come up for hearing before the Supreme Court tomorrow, according to a media report.
LBT, which replaced the traditional octroi in the various municipalities in the state, is an account-based cess collection for every raw material used or imported into the city limits by all businesses, traders and manufacturers.
While it has already been implemented in most parts of Maharashtra from April 1, it is due to be imposed in Mumbai from Oct 1 this year.
Earlier, the FRTWA had gone on a day's token strike April 22 in support of octroi, which had received a significant response. (KNN)
Since morning all the retail shopkeepers, wholesale traders in clothes, electronics, hardware, metals, cloth, food grain, fruit, vegetables and all types of manufacturers stopped all types of business and trading activities, causing inconvenience to millions of customers.
"Over a million retailers have wholeheartedly joined the strike from today (Monday), besides another half a million-plus wholesalers and traders in Mumbai, barring certain essentials like pharmacies," said a news report quoting Federation of Retail Traders' Welfare Association (FRTWA) President Viren Shah.
The FRTWA has joined its over one million counterparts in the rest of the state, large sections of which have been on regular strike and agitations since April 22, following a call by the Confederation of All India Traders.
"If the state government does not roll back the LBT and revert to octroi, it will mean a loss of around Rs 5 million per day in Mumbai alone," Shah warned, adding that the losses for the entire state were being tabulated.
"We do not want the LBT under any circumstances. We shall surrender our LBT registration soon if the government does not withdraw it," added the President.
A petition by a Pune trade body challenging the LBT will come up for hearing before the Supreme Court tomorrow, according to a media report.
LBT, which replaced the traditional octroi in the various municipalities in the state, is an account-based cess collection for every raw material used or imported into the city limits by all businesses, traders and manufacturers.
While it has already been implemented in most parts of Maharashtra from April 1, it is due to be imposed in Mumbai from Oct 1 this year.
Earlier, the FRTWA had gone on a day's token strike April 22 in support of octroi, which had received a significant response. (KNN)
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