Protests over local body tax continue,55 arrested

Members were protesting peacefully when police arrested and took them to Girgaum court.

As the trader-state government stalemate over the decision to enforce local body tax (LBT) by October 1 entered the third day,police Wednesday arrested 55 protesters for forcing shopkeepers in south Mumbai to down shutters.

Members were protesting peacefully when police arrested and took them to Girgaum court. I visited Grant Road,Nana Chowk and Kemps Corner to check whether the strike was successful. Police intervened and arrested us at Kemps Corner, said Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) president Viren Shah.

Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath to intervene in the matter.

CAIT President BC Bhartia said,The non-cognizance of the state government on this serious matter,which has disrupted normal life in Maharashtra,has prompted the CAIT to make a call to Urban Development Minister urging for his immediate intervention.

Citizens had a tough time buying groceries. Busy markets such as Crawford,Bhuleshwar and Kalbadevi wore a deserted look. Supreet Kaur,25,who works at ICICI Bank,said,I bought milk,but other grocery items like sugar and flour were not available anywhere.

More retailers have joined the strike, said Federation of Associations of Maharashtra president Mohan Gurnani. Bombay Goods Transport Association (BGTA) president Guru Pratap Singh Gandhi said,BGTA is likely to join the strike Friday for a day.

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