Protesting GST: Ahmedabad textile traders to form 5-km human chain

Protesting against implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on fabrics, textile traders in Ahmedabad will form a 5-kilometre long human chain in the city on Thursday. The main concern raised by textile traders is that not enough time has been allocated to textile players of the industry to get acquainted with GST. After a nationwide three-day strike, textile traders of Ahmedabad also met PD Vaghela, commissioner of commercial tax in Ahmedabad and submitted a memorandum of their demands on Wednesday.

The protest will be led by textile bodies like Maskati Mahajan, New Cloth Market, Panchkuva Kaapad Mahajan and other trade bodies associated with the textile sector. Talking to DNA, Gaurang Bhagat, president of Maskati Mahajan said that textile traders and their employees will form the human chain from 10:30 am on Thursday. “It will cover areas such as New Cloth Market, Sindhi Market, Hariom Market, Sankad Bajaar, Marghavad, Gujarat Handloom, Maskati Mahajan, Bombay Market, Sriram Market, Ghantakarna Market, New Cloth Market, Safal 1, Safal 2, Safal 3, Astodia and Chhipavad. Over 25,000 people will form the chain,” said Bhagat. 

A banner protest will also be held opposing levying of GST between 12.30 pm to 3 pm at New Cloth Market.

Shops in city remain closed due to bandh

Meanwhile, textile shops in the city remained closed for a second successive day of the three-day nationwide bandh. Around 50,000 traders in the city have downed the shutters to participate in the bandh.

Surat traders also comply with bandh

Markets also remained closed in Surat, the largest textile hub in the state with about 65,000 traders. Notably, Surat has been in the forefront in opposing GST in the textile sector. Traders will open their shops on Friday and conduct a gathering on Saturday to decide their future strategy, which also includes an indefinite strike.

Sanitary ware units to go on indefinite strike

More than 250 sanitary ware units in Thangadh will go on indefinite strike from July 1 to protest 28% tax under GST on sanitary ware products.

“The 28% tax slab is meant for luxury items, but sanitary ware products have also been kept in the same category. Being small units, we were so far exempted from excise duty, but we have been placed in the 28% tax slab.

This decision will lead to closure of sanitary ware units,” Dushyant Sompura of Paanchaal Ceramic Association Vikas Trust, which represents the units in Thangadh, said.

Manufacturers said that all the units in Thangadh will go on indefinite strike till the rate of tax on sanitary ware products is lowered and brought down to 12%.