Mixed response to traders bandh in Guj

Ahmedabad, Nov 9 (UNI) The traders bandh in seven Municipal Corporations of Gujarat to protest the imposition of Octroi evoked a mixed response today with Surat, Vadodara and Ahmedabad observing a near total bandh but it was ignored in Surashtra region.

Most of the business establishments remained open in Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar. However, in Junagadh there was a partial response as only a few traders shut down their premises.

In Surat, the Yarn Merchant Federation and weavers comprising 60,000 traders joined the bandh. Shops in Ring road and other major markets were closed as well as wholesale and retail establishments.

The Gujarat Vyapari Hitrakshak Samiti had given a call for a bandh in protest against the imposition of Octroi in new areas of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the state government going back on its promise of abolishing Octroi.

Jayandra Tanna, president of the Samiti, told UNI that the BJP government was treating the traders shabbily. Initially, the government gave the excuse that its revenue will drop drastically if it goes in for Octroi abolition.

However, after the VAT implementation there has been 32 per cent hike in revenue collection in switching over from sales tax to VAT.

Tanna said the common man would be hit hard as the prices of all commodities would see a rise of five to six per cent. ''Nowhere in the world one can see VAT and octroi co-existing,'' he added.

UNI VNB/AV mj/obb YA ND1708