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Nandini Oza
Nandini Oza

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Modi's Gujarat sees widespread protests against GST

PTI7_4_2017_00135B Textile traders protest against GST in Surat | PTI

Even as confusion prevails in the country over the exact implementation of the GST and the modalities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, Gujarat, has been witnessing widespread protests against the new tax regime.

The famed textile market of Surat continued its indefinite strike on Wednesday resulting in an estimated daily loss of Rs 200 crore. Textile market of Ahmedabad has also joined the strike. 

The Agriculture Produce Market Committees from across Saurashtra, including Rajkot, remained closed on Wednesday. The granite market of Ahmedabad is also observing strike. 

In Gujarat, where Modi is the most popular leader, the strikes and protests assume significance considering that the state has assembly polls by the year end.

Former president of Federation of Surat Textiles Association Devsinh Manghani told THE WEEK that the way GST was imposed was totally unjustified. He said that earlier the government used to take taxes on yarn, but now GST is levied even on the  processes that lead to yarn. There are a number of processes before the yarn stage is reached, he said. 

How would you expect a small trader owning a 100 to 400 square feet shop to pay so much of tax, he questioned, pointing out that these traders earn roti (bread) and not money.

The traders are also angry over the lathicharge on them by police on Monday during a protest against the GST. Flaying the lathicharge, Manghani alleged that only theoretical aspects appeared to have been considered while bringing in the new tax regime.

Vice chairman of Rajkot's APMC, Hardevsinh Jadeja said that the traders and the intermediates and even the farmers were confused over the implementation of the GST. He said that the intermediates were not sure whether it is to benefit them or not. 

“When we don't know what is to be done, how do we explain to the farmers and the intermediates,” Jadeja said. “When it comes to people's homes, they are bound to protest,” he pointed out. 

While speaking to THE WEEK, state BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya admitted that there are protests against the GST in Gujarat. He, however, said that this was due to misunderstanding. Efforts were being made to clear the misunderstandings, Pandya said, and added that Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel was meeting various groups.

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Topics : #GST

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