By IANS
Ranchi : A dawn-to-dusk strike called by traders in Jharkhand to protest the taxation system and the government’s failure to protect them from criminals evoked a good response Friday.
Shops and business establishments remained closed in most places barring a few areas like the industrial hub of Jamshedpur.
Traders also forced some private banks like ICICI and HDFC to down their shutters. They blocked the convoy of Chief Minister Madhu Koda on Harmu Bypass Road to lodge their protest.
The Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI) has pegged the loss from the strike at Rs.200 million.
Businessmen and industrialists had called the strike in support of their seven-point charter of demands. Besides demanding an improved law and order situation in the state, they pressed for the removal of anomalies in the value added tax (VAT) system, the announcement of an industrial and rehabilitation and resettlement policy and the withholding of the proposed Agriculture Produce Market Committee (Amendment) Bill 2007.
“Even though we oppose strikes called by political parties, we have been forced to adopt the same in support of our demand. Our agitation will continue till the state government accepts our demand,” said Manjo Naredi, FJCCI vice-president.
Reacting to the strike, Deputy Chief Minister Sudhir Mahto said, “We are looking into their demands. We are studying the policies followed by other states regarding VAT.
“The previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had planned to introduce the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (Amendment) Bill 2007. Under the new bill, the state government proposes to increase the agriculture tax from one percent to two percent. We will also look into the matter.”