LBT Day 1: Shopkeepers,traders declare war
Octroi abolished: Defiant traders say state has fooled them,call new rates misleading; indefinite strike to continue today.
4 min read
Shopkeepers and traders across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad observed a total bandh as part of their indefinite agitation to protest against the new LBT (Local Body Tax) regime introduced by the state government from April 1.
LBT takes the place of octroi,which has been scrapped across the state. Bus services and industries,however,remained unaffected.
Shopkeepers and traders have threatened to intensify their agitation from Tuesday. The traders association will take out a morcha on Tuesday from Mandai to PMC headquarters to protest against what they described as the state governments bid to harass them through inspector raj.
In both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad,shops,some malls and multiplexes remained shut. Major markets in Pune,too,remained closed on Monday.
The traders association has been opposing the introduction of LBT saying the state government had assured them that no new tax would be introduced during the implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT) and had promised abolition of octroi.
The association members gathered at the Ganesh temple in Sarasbaug and pledged to continue with the indefinite strike. The main markets on Laxmi Road,Market Yard and Bhavani Peth were closed and small shops and traders across the city followed suit.
The petrol pump owners association also participated in the strike and many pumps remained shut.
Many parts of the city and Pimpri-Chinchwad felt the impact of strike in the morning as there was no delivery of packed milk while citizens were not able to buy vegetables owing to limited supply. Showrooms of branded goods were open and for restaurants,it was business as usual.
Shops that were closed in the morning started opening in the evening enabling citizens to buy necessary goods.
Around 70 per cent of shops in the city were closed while 90 per cent of petrol pumps joined the indefinite strike called by traders. The bandh was peaceful, said DCP M D Tambade,Special Branch.
In the industrial town,Pimpri,Chinchwad and Bhosari shopkeepers down shutters through the day. The industrial sector functioned smoothly and so did schools.
The traders association claimed a successful bandh called in protest of LBT implementation by PMC. The shops from the main market and suburbs participated in the bandh and ensured that it was followed throughout the city, said Mahendra Pitaliya of the association.
Popotlal Oswal,president of traders association,said the state government had fooled traders by introducing LBT in place of octroi and has added to the problems of traders by bringing in the new system that empowers civic staff to check their accounts. The grahak panchayat,too,participated in the bandh saying the introduction of LBT would put financial burden of citizens.
In Pimpri-Chinchwad,MP Gajanan Babar said by introducing the LBT regime,the harassment of shopkeepers and traders would only increase. The inspector raj will become more pronounced. Every shopkeeper and trader will be harassed. Even vada pav and pani puri vendors will be in trouble, he said.
Describing the rates as misleading,Babar said the indefinite bandh would continue. We are not going to withdraw the strike till the state government scraps LBT. It is octroi in another form, he said.
On the other hand,PCMC chief Shrikar Pardeshi said while the industries were happy with LBT rates,it is only the shopkeepers who seem to be protesting. Their main objection is that they will have keep books updated on every transaction made. For this,we will soon hold a workshop and hope to resolve their grievances, he said.
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