Plastic traders/industries on hartal in Pondy

Puducherry, Jul 7: All plastic traders and industries here observed a general strike as part of the agitation by plastic traders and industries in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to press the Centre to take immediate steps to save the industry.

They wanted the Centre to take immediate steps to abolish Excise Duty and Additional Import Duty on plastic raw materials and impose 25 per cent export duty on it.The ceiling for production tax should be enhanced to Rs five crore from the present Rs 1.5 crore.

There are 600 plastic industries and 100 shops here.A delegation of plastic industrialists and traders today left for Chennai to take part in the day's fast at Chepauk.

They alleged a private manufacturer had exported the raw materials creating an artificial scarcity and enhancing its price.

UNI