ABOHAR: The proposed Punjab bandh on May 28 called by Punjab Pardesh Beopar Mandal has been postponed indefinitely.This was disclosed by secretary of the mandal, Vinod Sharma, in a press release issued here today. He stated that the decision was taken yesterday at a meeting between Lachman Dass Mehta, officiating president of the mandal and the office-bearers of the mandal. The bandh call was given in to protest against the arrest of two traders and president of the beopar mandal, allegedly on false cases. Punjab Pardesh Beopar Mandal president and two traders are now in the judicial custody.Sharma has stated that the bandh has been postponed to honour the judiciary.The traders are demanding abolition of octroi and the removal of enforcement wing, the release added.FEROZEPUR: Senior traders' leader Tulsidass Jaitwani, vice president, All India Mahan Beopar Mandal, flayed the Badal government for its discriminatory policies towards the trading and the business community.He pointed out that state government had granted Rs 1,200 crore annual free power and water to rural sector but had adopted evasive tactic by constituting sub committee to consider abolition of municipal octroi tax which accounts for a total annual revenue of Rs 250 crore.PATIALA: The Patiala Beopar Mandal has demanded that the sales tax on medicine and other items in Punjab should be at par with Chandigarh.While addressing a meeting of the chemists association here today the president of Patiala Beopar Mandal, Surjit Kumar Mehta appealed to the state government to reduce the sales tax an medicines so that the sale of medicines in Punjab should not be affected because of less sales tax in Chandigarh.Others who addressed the meeting included Manoj Kumar, Harjit Singh and P.L. Uppal. Kundan Gogia thanked the beopar mandal for making proper efforts regarding this lingering issue of sales tax parity.
