Traders' body calls for 'civil disobedience' against VAT

Lucknow, Nov 15 (UNI) A traders body today called for 'civil disobedience' by small and medium traders against the implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT) in Uttar Pradesh from December 1.

All India Samajwadi Vyapar Mandal (AISVM) has solicited the support of all the traders, leaders, parties, traders' bodies irrespective of political affiliations against VAT.

Addressing a news conference here this evening, Mandal national president Radheyshyam Gupta said the Mayawati-led government was implementing VAT in an ''autocratic manner.'' According to him, VAT would give immense power to government officials, ''who would then exploit traders and indulge in corruption, while prices of commodities would rise.'' ''The state government has neither taken the traders into confidence nor tried to dispel doubts about the new tax regime being enforced,'' he alleged.

Mr Gupta claimed mere dharnas, rallies, demonstrations and bandhs would not deter the ''autocratic'' Mayawati regime from implementing VAT.

''Therefore, all the traders need to unite on a common platform and wage a 'civil disobedience' movement against the UP government.

Mr Gupta informed that he had already written to several top trader leaders in UP and would soon call upon them personally to act in right earnest in the interest of the traders community.

He said under the 'civil disobedience' movement, the traders should not get themselves registered under VAT.

''This would force the government to rescind VAT, which would otherwise only spell doom for the UP traders,'' he asserted.

The Mandal leader further criticised the BJP for its opposition to VAT, even as all the BJP-ruled states had already implemented the new tax regime.

UNI