STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: The traders and transporters of the Jammu region on Thursday gave a call for bandh here on November 6 to protest against the continuation of toll tax on goods imported from outside the state.
The bandh call was given by Neeraj Anand, President, Chamber of Traders Federation (CTF), here on Thursday.
Anand called upon all trade organisations to lend their full support in making the ‘Jammu bandh’ successful.
Regretting the inconvenience to the consumers and commuters, Anand told reporters here that trade community is utterly dismayed by the adamant stand of the state government and bureaucracy for the last four months.
“CTF was left with no alternative but to call for the extreme step of Jammu bandh,” he said.
This happened in spite of the fact that so many representations were made to chief minister, deputy chief minister, finance minister, concerned officials and presidents of political parties, Neeraj said. Representation given to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on his recent visit to Jammu and his personal displeasure expressed to BJP leaders has also made little impact on the state government, Anand said.
“Implementation was done but call it the political expediency that the bill in present shape has once again brought about mismatch of rates on account of toll tax as compared to the neighbouring states thus making goods costlier for the consumers of Jammu and Kashmir, something that was least expected in the uniform GST Law,” he said.
Anand sincerely urged upon trade organisations, civil society groups, transporters, industrial federations and conscientious political leaders and other stakeholders to support this initiative and force the government to see the reasoning on abolition of toll Tax.
He also demanded that the state government should declare the birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, as a state holiday.
Anand further warned that the government shall positively respond to the demand and avoid any unfortunate situation.
Meanwhile, All J&K Transport Welfare Association J&K Jammu too has decided to go on one-day strike.
Association Chairman, T.S Wazir said that the Central/State Government sucking the blood of poor transporters of the State by introducing the rate of fees, taxes, penalty and insurance more than 100 per cent.
“We have called on the State Government on January 25, 2017 wherein the Chief Minister assured that their issues are very genuine and would be settled within days but nothing has been done till today,” he said.
“We are not interested to take an agitational path, but the State Government is forcing us to do so we have unanimously decided to observe complete strike on 29th March and no commercial vehicle will ply on the Lakhanpur- Srinagar route till our demands are not met,” he said.
Wazir said that all commercial vehicles transports including buses, trucks, tankers, mini-buses, taxies and auto-Rikshaws will go off the road.
“If our demands are not met by the State Government then we will go on indefinite strike and no commercial vehicles will ply on road from Lakhanpur to Srinagar and the consequences shall lies on the government,” Wazir said.