Cloth Merchants to participate in 'chalo assembly'

Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh Mar 21 (UNI) More than 3000 cloth merchants from East Godavari district would participate in the ''chalo assembly''programme tomorrow in response to the call given by Andhra Pradesh Federation of Textile Association, according to East Godavari District Cloth Merchants Federation Chairman Bommana Rajkumar.

Addressing newspersons here he said no state in the country is levying VAT on cloth, except Andhra Pradesh.

The State Government was levying tax. Due to this more than 80 lakh people involved in the cloth business were being harassed by the officials, Mr Rajkumar alleged.

He said the State Government should impose tax at the production level itself and demanded that the GO MS no 1564 as per which VAT was being levied, must be withdrawn immediately.

The State Government is levying VAT on towels, bed sheets, travelling rugs, and saree embroidery works, depriving Self Help Groups(SHG) of their daily wages. Their economic condition was turning from bad to worse due to this, he said.

If the Government failed to heed to their demand, the federation would intensify their agitation by closing shops, he added.

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