Punjab - Industry bats for VAT waiver on sports goods

The Jalandhar sports industry, which is already facing severe competition in the international market due to the cheap Chinese goods, has asked the Punjab government to waive VAT on sports goods on the lines of the Uttar Pradesh.

While talking to mediapersons here today, Khel Udyog Sangh spokesperson and former district president of the industry cell of the BJP Ravinder Dhir and other representatives from the sports industry, said before the elections, the SAD-BJP combine had made a slew of promises to them, but now after coming into power it has forgotten everything.

He said though Industries Minister Manoranjan Kalia belongs to Jalandhar, he has done nothing for them. He didn't even solve the issue of C-Form, he alleged, adding that memoranda sent to the 16 BJP MLAs were also not received by them.

Dhir said 20 years back, 90 per cent of the sports industry of the country was in Jalandhar, which was providing employment to over one lakh people, and 10 per cent in Meerut. Now Meerut has captured 50 per cent of the market share with the government support.

Source : Chandigarh Newsline - Chandigarh, India, dated 10/04/2008