Chandigarh, March 31
The bandh against value-added tax (VAT) was near total in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and most of Punjab. The response to the call for a two-day bandh given by the Akhil Bharatiya Beopar Mandal was poor in Chandigarh. Today was the first day of the bandh.
While Haryana has decided to introduce VAT from tomorrow, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Chandigarh have deferred its introduction for the time being. Himachal Pradesh has set up a committee led by the Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Mr Kaul Singh, to study VAT.
The bandh was near total in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala and other major cities of Punjab.
The Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal (Bajrang group) had supported the bandh call for today, but its president, Mr Bajrang Dass Garg, said his organisation would extend only moral support to the bandh tomorrow. The Lakshmi Chand Gupta faction of the mandal is supporting the bandh tomorrow.
Reports from Himachal Pradesh say that the bandh was total in Hamirpur, Kulu, Shimla, Mandi, Sirmour, Kangra and Chamba districts.
In Chandigarh, traders mostly kept their establishments open.
In a joint statement issued here today Mr N.C. Jain and Mr R.P. Gupta, chairman and secretary, respectively, of the Ambala Cantt Traders Federation, urged the Haryana Chief Minister to defer the introduction of VAT till the neighbouring states also adopted it. They said the maximum rate of taxation under VAT should not be more than 8 per cent.
They said accounting procedures should be simplified and traders with a turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh per year should be exempted from paying VAT. They alleged that the new format prepared by the Haryana Excise and Taxation Department demanded information that even the Income Tax Department did not demand.
Mr Garg said today’s bandh, which he said was a complete success, was only a “trailer”. If the government went ahead with the introduction of VAT, traders would be forced to launch a sustained agitation. He said a statewide meeting of traders would soon be convened to formulate the next course of action.
Mr Ramesh Verma, president of the Ambala Beopar Mandal, said the bandh call had evoked an “unprecedented response”.
A former minister and general secretary of the Haryana Congress, Mr Mange Ram Gupta, said the government should defer the introduction of VAT in view of the widespread resentment against it.
AMRITSAR: The president of the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, Mr Amrit Lal Jain, said a complete bandh had been observed today by traders against VAT. A rally was
held
and effigies of VAT were burnt.BATHINDA: The markets here wore a deserted look, as a large number of traders today participated in the bandh against VAT and business in banks, too, was affected due to it.
The cloth market was closed like on every Monday.
Many traders who participated in the bandh had no clear idea of VAT and said they had observed the bandh only in support of the call given by the Beopar Mandal.
DHARAMSALA: All markets in the district today remained closed due to protest against VAT. The markets will remain closed on Tuesday also. The Beopar Mandal claimed that the bandh had been complete in the state.
FARIDKOT: On a call given by the Punjab Beopar Mandal, traders downed shutters here today to oppose VAT. The protesters also marched through main streets of the town and held a rally at Mini Secretariat.
FAZILKA:
The anti-VAT bandh by traders has received such an impressive response here that all shopkeepers, including even small vendors have joined in. Chemists here observed a half-day bandh. The town markets wore a deserted look and representatives of trade bodies took out a joint procession against VAT and submitted a memorandum to the Subdivisional Magistrate of Fazilka.
HAMIRPUR:
A near-total bandh was observed in various parts of Hamirpur district to oppose the introduction of VAT from April 1. Traders downed their shutters and held meetings against the new order. Hamirpur presented a deserted look, as all shops were closed and traders were out in the sun. Mr Prem Chand Katna, president of the Hamirpur Beopar Mandal, said the bandh was complete. Reports of bandh have also been received from Nadaun, Mahre, Barsar, Jahoo, Bhoranj, Galore and Sujanpurtira.
HISAR: Traders here observed a bandh in protest against VAT today. The Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal had given the call for the bandh here. Almost all business establishments in the town remained closed. A heavy police force was deployed in main markets of the town to avoid any untoward incident. The traders took out a protest march and later, gathered at the Nagori Gate here, where they raised slogans against the state government and the Centre.
HOSHIARPUR: Shopkeepers here observed a complete strike today in protest against VAT. All business establishments, except banks, remained closed. Brick-kiln owners also joined the protest and anti-VAT demonstrations were held in markets here.
JALANDHAR:
The call for bandh against VAT evoked a good response here today, as most business establishments and markets of the city remained closed.
Traders staged a protest rally and dharna near Nehru Garden Chowk here and raised anti-government slogans. Effigies of VAT were burnt at various places in the district.
Industrial units in most parts of the district also remained closed in support of the agitation.
JIND: Shopkeepers in several markets of Jind participated in the bandh against VAT. However, many shops on the outskirts of the town were open.
KANGRA:
Kangra and its suburbs today observed a complete bandh against the implementation of VAT in the country. All shops and business establishments remained closed and even vegetable and milk supplies were also affected.
The worst affected were thousands of pilgrims to shrines like Bajjreshwari and Chamunda Devi, who had to go without food and tea, as all tea stalls and restaurants were closed. The children with the pilgrims were crying for milk.
The situation forced the pilgrims to fill their stomachs with ‘prasada’ from the temples. A Bajjreshwari Temple official, Mr Birbal Kaplesa, said, in view of the bandh, the temple management had decided to keep the ‘langur’ open for all day instead of the usual two hours to provide the pilgrims with food as ‘prasada’. Outside the dining hall, children and the elderly had to struggle for food, while shopkeepers blamed the Centre for the mess.
KARNAL:
A near-total bandh was observed here today in protest against VAT. Only Sabzi Mandi remained open, Some bookshops also remained open, as the results of examinations conducted by some schools were declared today. Traders took out a procession through the city and submitted a memorandum to the district administration.
KULU: The bandh against VAT complete in this district. The Beopar Mandal here submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner to show resentment against VAT.
The bandh will continue tomorrow. Many traders and even some office-bearers of the Beopar Mandal here little about VAT when asked. They said even taxmen didn’t know much about it.
KURUKSHETRA: All shopkeepers in and around Kurukshetra, including even small vendors, observed a bandh in protest against VAT. Normal life remained paralysed, following, the closure of all shopping activity.
The Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal and 22 local trade associations submitted a joint memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner to express resentment against VAT.
MALERKOTLA: In protest against VAT, almost all shops and other business establishments in most parts of the city remained closed today.
The call for the bandh here was given by the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal and the Cycle-parts Manufacturers and Suppliers Association. Several other associations of trade and industry also participated in the bandh.
There were dharna’s and marches in various markets here against VAT.
MANDI: All business and commercial activities came to a grinding halt in the district on the first day of the bandh against VAT today. Traders in Jogindernagar, Sundernagar, Sarkaghat, Gohar and Karsog, too kept the shutters down and village, too, shops remained closed.
Only banks and government offices were open.
MANSA:
Traders at Mansa, Budhlada, Bareta, Bhikhi and Sardulgarh observed a complete bandh on Monday against VAT and held rallies in all towns. They went in a procession to the office of the Deputy Commissioner and submitted a memorandum to the Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner.
NABHA: The town observed a complete bandh today in protest against VAT. Shopkeepers took out a procession and submitted a memorandum to the SDM here in this regard.
NAWANSHAHR: Mixed response to the nationwide call for bandh against VAT was seen here today. Two bodies of traders organised protest rallies and submitted memorandums to the Deputy Commissioner.
NURPUR: A complete bandh was observed by shopkeepers of Nurpur and Jawali subdivision today on the first day of the two-day nation wide bandh against VAT. Traders of Nurpur, Jassur and Damtal submitted a joint memorandum against VAT to the local Subdivisional Magistrate.
PHAGWARA: About 800 protesters belonging to 30 business organisations today observed a bandh, blocked traffic on the GT Road and burnt an effigy of VAT at Gol Chowk here. The protesters also performed mock last rites of VAT.
Demonstrations held in local markets and a rally was also organised. The bandh will continue tomorrow as well.
PHILLAUR: A complete bandh was observed here today by various trade and industrial organisations in protest against the proposed introduction of VAT. All shops and commercial establishments remained closed, including even roadside stalls.
All government offices and banks remained open and rail and road traffic, too, was normal. Traders held demonstrations, wore black badges and burnt effigies of VAT.
Traffic remained disrupted briefly during the protest.
Meanwhile, several traders enjoyed the two day offs by visiting hill stations and other places of tourist interest.
ROPAR: Traders in various parts of the district today kept the shutters down in protest against VAT. In Ropar, Anandpur Sahib, Kurali, Nangal and Nurpur Bedi, the bandh was near-total. Chemists however, kept their shops open.
SAMANA: The bandh against VAT was partial here today, as several shopkeepers didn’t join it. Local cloth merchants handed over a memorandum to the Subdivisional Magistrate here in this regard.
SANGRUR:
All businessmen here observed a bandh today in protest against VAT. Effigies of VAT and the Centre were burnt in Barra Chowk here and a rally was held in front of the office of the local Khadi Bhandhar. A protest march was taken out through the town and a dharna was staged in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner. The protesters also submitted a memorandum to the administration.
SHIMLA:
Business activity in the state came to a halt, as traders observed a bandh in protest against the move to introduce VAT in the state. All shops, including even that of small vendors, remained closed in major towns of the state. The bandh was total in all, but tribal areas. Traders also took out processions at most places.
SOLAN: The bandh against VAT disrupted normal life here today. The bandh will continue tomorrow. With all shops closed, the roads wore a deserted look and even small vendors did not operated today. Chemist shops were, however, open.
The bus operators saw a decrease in the number of computers and the closure of petrol pumps at a few places hampered the availability of petrol to them. Some kiosk owners said they had been forced to close there shops.
SUNAM: On a call given by various trade organisations, the town observed a complete bandh today in protest against VAT.
Mr Haridev Goel, a local trader, said, if VAT was imposed on businessmen, businessman would intensify their stir and gherao Parliament House. The bandh would continue tomorrow.
YAMUNANAGAR:
A complete bandh against VAT was observed in Yamunanagar district today. All shops and commercial establishments remained closed, but banks and government offices remained opened.
