BHOPAL: Protesting against a 7 per cent hike in GST, the wholesale and retail cloth traders of Bairagarh kept their shutters down on Thursday. Around 300 retail shops remained closed on the day as a mark of protest. There are around 350 wholesale traders in the town.
Textile traders across the state including Bhopal, Bairagarh (Sant Hirdaram Nagar) are protesting against the increase in the rate of GST on textile from 5 per cent to 12 per cent. The protest affected business worth Rs 100 crore in Madhya Pradesh.
Protesting against a 7 per cent hike in GST, the wholesale and retail cloth traders of Bairagarh kept their shutters down on Thursday. | FP
The new GST rates will be applicable from January 1. Due to this, traders have been protesting for the last one month. Poster-banners have been put up in markets like New Market, Lakherapura, Chowk, No. 10, Bittan Market etc against the government’s decision.
Wholesale traders association president Kanhaiyalal Israni said, “It was a Pan-India protest over hike in GST. So in other parts of Madhya Pradesh including Bairagarh, the entire business establishment of the cloth traders were closed down. Business worth Rs 100 crore affected in MP. We are protesting a 7 per cent hike from 5 per cent to 12 per cent GST on textile. ”
Recently, traders had protested by banging thali-lotta by turning off the lights of shops for 20 minutes in the evening. The motive behind this demonstration was that the government should accept this demand of the traders and give relief to the customers as well. Despite no decision being taken, on Thursday, they took to the streets and kept their business establishments closed as a mark of protest.
