Will enforce LBT stir by blackening faces of owners who open shops.
If you do not receive your daily supply of milk on Saturday, it is because the traders have intensified their ongoing strike against local body tax (LBT). The Federation of Traders Association of Pune (FTAP) on Friday decided to observe total closure of shops and not deliver even milk. Sweet marts have been asked to join the strike from Saturday with a promise that the federation will compensate for the losses they suffer.
The decision was taken at a meeting of traders held by the federation at Yash Lawns.
Federation leaders Fatehchand Ranka and Popatsheth Ostwal told reporters after the meeting, “The federation has decided to continue with the indefinite strike. From tomorrow, if any shop is found open, our members will go there and blacken the face of the shop owner. Since shops are being opened under the garb of selling milk in the morning, we will not allow even sale of milk at grocery shops. We have asked sweet mart owners to join the strike. The federation will compensate for the losses the sweet marts face.”
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court bench headed by Justice HL Dattu rejected plea by Federation of Maharashtra Traders’ Associations to grant a stay on implementation of LBT. The Supreme Court has asked the Bombay high court to decide on the federation’s petition challenging validity of LBT expeditiously.
While Chavan and Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar were in Pune on Friday, the wholesale trading activity at Gultekdi Market Yard came to a grinding halt as the Poona Merchants’ Chamber participated in the strike on its third day. Ranka said, “Imposing LBT is the worst thing that the government is doing. Earlier, when VAT was imposed, government had assured us that octroi would be removed, but the promise was not kept. We are firm on continuing the agitation till the government scraps LBT.”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}