STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Angry members of the business community and representatives of Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Jammu on Thursday locked offices of Excise and Sales Tax Department (E&ST), demanding roll back of VAT and Toll Tax levied by the State Government in the current budget.
Led by President of the CCI, Jammu Rakesh Gupta and other senior office bearers, hundreds of traders and affected businessman took out a march from the Chamber House and assembled outside the Excise and Sales tax Department.
After shouting slogan and raising demands, the agitated members climbed the stairs of the government building and locked the complex giving a clear cut warning to the alliance government, headed by Mehbooba Mufti to immediately announce rollback of unpopular decision aimed at penalising the traders’ community in the State.
Rakesh Gupta told media, “The State Government is resorting to pressure tactics and doling out sops to businessmen to call off their strike in the interest of the State”.
Gupta said they are the ones who will barter their trust and name for petty gains after ditching all those traders who have reposed faith in their leadership abilities. The traders also criticised the manner in which for the first time the State Government tried to push through the government orders without following the constitutional procedures. The agitation by traders is going to be intensified in the run-up to the day-long bandh call given by the traders of both Jammu and Kashmir regions.
The traders are opposed to hike in Toll Tax and fare from five per cent to 14.5 per cent on consumer items like readymade garments, mobile phones, frozen food items, which they say will affect adversely both the business and the people in general. The entertainment duty of Rs 50 per connection on satellite and cable TV would directly affect the common man, they added.
