Cloth markets reopen in Surat, anti-GST stir to continue

The move comes following a meeting of the GST Sangharsh Samiti leaders with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and other Union ministers in New Delhi on Monday.

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Meanwhile, the GST Sangharsh Samiti appeared to be in a leadership crisis with absence of president Tarachand Kasat. (Representational Image)

Textile markets in Surat, Ahmedabad and Rajkot reopened on Tuesday with the traders deciding to continue their agitation against the imposition of five per cent Goods and Services Tax on the sector.

The move comes following a meeting of the GST Sangharsh Samiti leaders with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and other Union ministers in New Delhi on Monday. Champalal Bothra, a member of the GST Sangharsh Samiti, who was part of the 40-minute meeting, said they had put forward their demands, including rollback of GST, before the Union ministers. “We said if the government at all wants to impose GST on textile, then it will have to give us time of around 18 months for implementing the new tax regime. Among other demands, we asked for making the entire procedure simple and relaxation on filing returns from three times a month at present to quarterly a year. The GST rate on yarn should be increased and the remaining chain should be kept free from the GST,” said the member.

He added while Jaitley told them that the GST could not be removed, their other demands would be discussed in the upcoming GST council meeting to be held in Delhi on August 5. “The Union minister has assured us of simplifying the process.” Gaurang Bhagat, president of Maskati Cloth Merchants Association in Ahmedabad, said: “While GST won’t be revoked or rolled back, Jaitley showed openness in understanding our problem relating to integrating in to the new system. He was open to several of our demands including reimbursement of the tax that we have paid on existing stock, roll back of import duty on fabric from current 15 per cent which is hurting our industry.”

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Meanwhile, the GST Sangharsh Samiti appeared to be in a leadership crisis with absence of president Tarachand Kasat. His leadership was questioned in another meeting of textile traders held in Surat on Tuesday to share the details of the Delhi meet. Federation of the Surat Textile Traders Association (FOSTTA) president Manoj Agrawal said a new body would be formed for continuing with the agitation.

At the meeting as majority of traders were willing to open the shops, Agrawal decided that the agitation will continue if no decision is taken by the GST council on August 5 but the textile traders can open their shops as of now. — With ENS, Ahmedabad

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