PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, April 19: Traders of Jamshedpur today staged a black badge protest against the state government’s decision of imposing a 2 percent agriculture market tax.
Vijay Anand Moonka, president of the Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI ), said the agriculture market tax of two per cent proposed by the Jharkhand government was oppressive for all traders and should be withdrawn immediately.
He said the e-commerce companies would benefit from the Bill passed by the state government.
Moonka was accompanied by senior functionaries of the trade body.
Notably, a delegation of the Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Sunday participated in a state-level conference organized in Ranchi. The conference was convened by the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
Vijay Anand Moonka, president of SCCI, said the agriculture market tax of two per cent proposed by the Jharkhand government was oppressive for all traders and should be withdrawn immediately. He said the e-commerce companies would benefit from the Bill passed by the state government.
“The traders of bordering states where there is no market tax would supply agricultural produce to Jharkhand. This would cause huge GST revenue loss to the state government and cause inflation,” explained a trader.
The traders also took a slew of decisions to mount pressure on the state government to withdraw the agriculture market tax.
They threatened to go on indefinite strike and gave the state government a deadline of 30 days to withdraw the Bill.
Apart from Sakchi, the black badge protest was carried out by the traders in various other markets across the steel city.
