Traders to intensify LBT stir from today

Many shops remained open as the traders’ indefinite strike against local body tax (LBT) entered its second day on Thursday. However, the Federation of Trade Associations of Pune (FTAP) has threatened to intensify strike from Friday by closing all food grain markets and retail shops.

The traders are now eagerly waiting for the Supreme Court (SC) verdict on the petition filed regarding LBT on Friday. A meeting of traders’ representatives is scheduled on Friday morning to decide the next plan of action.

The federation treasurer Fatehchand Ranka said, “We got good response from traders in Kolhapur, Solapur, Amravati and other cities.”

Even as the shops in main market area were closed and banners against LBT were placed at many stores, various outlets were opened mainly in suburbans areas. Ranka said, “We had excluded shops for the first few days to allow citizens to buy essential items. But the whole Market Yard area will be closed from Friday.”

Notice given
The district administration has issued notices to over 200 wholesale traders warning them to continue supply of essential commodities. District collector Vikas Deshmukh said, “I personally visited the Market Yard area on Thursday and served notices to over 200 traders. These were precautionary notices to warn them.”

Reacting to these notices, Poona Merchant’s Chamber president Ajit Setiya said, “We have received the notices. We have requested the collector to carry out business without registering for LBT or the business will be illegal. As we cannot carry out illegal business, we have decided to close down all shops from Friday.”