The publishers and the booksellers are in a fix as all the books except for the curricular ones have been brought under the ambit of local body tax (LBT). They feel that the LBT will not just increase the cost of the books but also make it difficult to organise book exhibitions in different cities.
Even though the government has started implementing LBT from April 1, followed by six-day strike by traders opposing it, publishers in Pune have presented a memorandum to the municipal commissioner to exclude all books from the ambit of LBT.
Arun Jakhade, working president of Marathi Prakashak Parishad, the apex body of publishers, president Ramesh Kundur and treasurer Arvind Patkar presented the memorandum.
Jakhade said that the state government had issued a GR in 2004 which had excluded all books from octroi. “While carrying the books from one city to another for exhibitions, the publishers or booksellers had to obtain a letter of Octroi Free and had to show it at the octroi check post,” he said.
The publishing body’s annual turnover in Pune is around Rs3 crore and around 600 to 700 titles are introduced every year in the market. “While paper, ink, printing machines and other machinery including scanning, photo typesetting are included in the LBT, why is the government not excluding the books from its ambit,” he said.
He added that ‘Marathi Diwali Ank’ (Diwali issues) too would be hindered.
Jakhade said the Marathi Diwali Ank has been a tradition for over 100 years and with LBT, it will be difficult to come out with the Diwali Ank.
Ramesh Rathivadekar, founder of Akshardhara which organises book exhibitions at various places including small villages and towns, said, “Many book lovers are asking us whether they should purchase books now or wait for the LBT decision.”
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