Surat: Textile traders Hundreds of traders had assembled at the Goodluck textile market on the Ring Road to attend a public meeting called by the Vyapari Sangarsh Samiti (VSS) on Wednesday. VSS has appealed all the traders in the 165 textile markets on Ring Road, Salabatpura and Sahara Darwaja to keep their shops shut for a day. and powerloom weavers will observing a complete shut-down on Thursday to press for their demand for exemption from the Goods and Service Tax (GST). Addressing the gathering, VSS leader Tarachand Kasat, who is also an active member of BJP said, "We want the textile sector to be exempted from GST and instead demand turnover tax. We thought the BJP government will bring 'Achhe Din', but we are heading towards 'Aafat Ke Din' (days of disaster)" Kasat said that the textile traders community had played an important role in supporting Modi as the PM during the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Now, the traders have been left in the lurch and even the union finance minister Arun Jaitley is not ready to listen to the cascading effects of the GST implementation in the textile sector. "FM is least bothered about the survival of the industry in the GST regime," he said. At present, the traders have to deal with the return goods phenomenon, which is persistent in the market since quite a long time. There is around 50 per cent return of the goods. In such condition, it is going to be a difficult for the traders to calculate the GST. Kasat stated that the bandh has been supported by around 80 textile associations across the country. The leaders from the textile associations will be meeting in New Delhi from June 16 to June 26 to represent the GST issue to the government. "If there is no result, we may launch indefinite strike starting from July 1," he said. Another VSS leader, Sanjay Jagnani said, "There will be demonstrations in all the textile markets against GST starting from Thursday between 4 pm to 6 pm. There are many traders, including myself, who have decided to sit on the indefinite hunger strike from July 1." Jagnani added, "No trader will take the registration under GST" Meanwhile, the powerloom industrial estates in Sachin GIDC, Hojiwala Estate and Pandesara have also supported the bandh call. The textile processing units have, however, abstained from the agitation.
Source: The Times of India