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Journalism of Courage
OCTOBER 6: The four day-old agitation by the Agricultural Produce Market Committee APMC traders at Vashi was called off on Saturday.
Announcing the end of the agitation, the Traders8217; Action Committee TAC convenor Mohan Gurnani claimed that the authorities had agreed to maintain a status quo on the cess at 0.1 per cent, a claim which was denied by Sudhakar Kulkarni, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner.
Reacting to Gurnani8217;s statement, Kulkarni said, 8220;It was agreed upon to refer the matter to a two-member committee.8221;
The status quo will be maintained with regard to the collection of cess through the APMC channel without requiring a separate registration by the trade, he said.
The traders were protesting the increase in cess from 0.1 to 0.3 per cent, despite the government8217;s assurance that wholesale markets would not be subjected to any octroi.
The minister of state for Urban Development, Ravindra Mane, convened a meeting at Mantralaya at the instance of Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik to discuss the account-based cess imposed by the NMMC.
All parties in the NMMC agreed to set up a two-member committee comprising the secretaries of Urban Development and Cooperation departments to suggest ways to tackle the issue, Kulkarni said. The report is expected within a week.
