KNN Bureau Sectors 16 Mar 2016 12:34:06 <strong><strong><img alt="Govt clears its stand; jewellers to take call on Mar 17 over strike" src="http://knnindia.co.in/knnuploads/uploads 4.1.14/strike-16-3-16.jpg" style="border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 1px; float: left; width: 320px; height: 220px;" /></strong>New Delhi/Mumbai, Mar 16 (KNN) </strong>The jewellers strike has entered 14th day today, but still no solution has come out yet.<br /> <br /> Finance Minister Arun Jaitley indicated on Monday that the government would not withdraw its Budget announcement of one per cent excise duty on gold jewellery.<br /> <br /> He said this was to prepare for the national goods and services tax (GST).<br /> <br /> Responding to this, Ashok Minawala, Spokesperson of&nbsp; All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation said that we will take a call on 17^th of this month whether to call off the strike or not.<br /> <br /> He also told that jewellers will hold a rally on Thursday6 against the one percent excise duty proposed on jewellery.<br /> <br /> He cleared that excise is the subject of excise department and officers make the guildelines not the Government.<br /> <br /> On the other hand, the situation is worrisome as over 10-million skilled jewellery artisans and craftsmen across India, who get paid on a per-job basis, have been hit badly due to the strike. Last week, a worker at a jewellery-making unit in Indore reportedly committed suicide due to financial distress.<br /> <br /> When asked about the conditions of the artisans he said that we are paying the wages to the artisans and industry is taking care of themselves. <strong>(KNN Bureau)</strong> 14117 http://knnindia.co.in/sectors/govt-clears-its-stand-jewellers-to-take-call-on-mar-17-over-strike/31-14117.go 16 Mar 2016 12:34:06 KNN