Andhra Pradesh - Textile merchants to observe bandh
against VAT today
Textile merchants will observe a statewide bandh on
Monday demanding the state government to lift value
added tax (VAT) imposed on them. The bandh was declared
at a general body meeting of AP Federation of Textile
Association held here on Sunday.
The state government on July 8 had issued a government
order (GO) imposing 4 per cent VAT on textile merchant from Monday onwards.
Condemning the move to impose the VAT on textile trades, B Malleshwar Reddy,
convener, VAT convention and vice-president, Andhra Pradesh federation of
textile association said it is ridiculous that the government has imposed the
tax on textile merchants.
The merchants said that the GO had not taken their concerns into consideration.
Just before the GO was issued, the state government had asked merchants to give
their feedback. However, the order was passed by the government on Friday even
before the association could reach a consensus on the issue.
"We had a talk with APCC president Botsa Satyanarayana and he assured us that he
would give us a month's time to decide. But they have gone ahead and implemented
it before we could even convene a meeting," said Reddy, adding that even other
states which had imposed VAT on textiles have rolled back the move.
