Bhopal: Mandi Traders To Go On Indefinite Strike From Sept 4

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Mandi traders will go on indefinite strike from September 4 in protest against mandi tax and destitute duty in Madhya Pradesh. Destitute duty of Rs 0.20 is collected for Bangladesh refugees and mandi tax is Rs 1.50 per 100 units so they have to pay Rs 1.70 per 100 unit. Bangladesh destitute duty Rs 0.20 is being collected from 1971.

On the call of the Madhya Pradesh Aanaj Vyapari Mahasangh, the traders conducted a 2-hour symbolic strike to decrease the mandi tax to Rs 0.50 per hundred and abolition of destitute fee.

Madhya Pradesh government had decided to increase the mandi tax by Rs.0.50 for three years from November 14, 2020, the period of which is about to expire. They demanded that the said mandi fee should be fixed at Rs 0.50 only and destitute fee should be abolished, so that the farmers can get more value for their produce in the mandis.

Karond Mandi (Bhopal) traders association president Harish Gyanchandani said, “in response to the call of Indore Mandi, we are on indefinite strike in protest against mandi tax and Bagladesh’s destitute duty. We are demanding reduction of mandi tax to 1 per cent. We are paying Rs 1.70 including Rs 0.20 destitute duty since 1971.”

He further said, “ our licence is renewed every five years so we demand a one time licence system for traders on the basis of linkage with Aadhar and Pan-card.”