Uttar Pradesh jewellers open shops after strike

Lucknow, April 13: After 43-days of nationwide strike against the excise fees levied, Uttar Pradesh jewellers opened their shops on Wednesday.

Confirming the end of the strike, officials at Uttar Pradesh Sarrafa Association said jewellery shops will remain open till the decision of the next step.

Regional general secretary of the association, Ravindra Nath Rastogi, however, said that the shops will remain open for the next 12 days, till April 24, the deadline set for the union government to look into the matter.

"We will decide the future course of our action in case our demand of a roll back on the excise duty is not yielded to," Rastogi told IANS.

Pradeep Kumar Agarwal, general secretary of Lucknow Sarrafa Association, said if Finance Minister Arun Jaitley sticks to his stand of no roll back, the jewellers will again organise a strike from April 25.

Message of opening the shops on Wednesday were sent to all groups in Lucknow, and to markets across the state, said office bearers of various associations.

IANS