Food grain traders protest against tax hike

Different trade bodies associated with Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI) on Wednesday staged a symbolic protest against the agriculture marketing tax imposed by the State government. The trade organizations associated with fruits, vegetables, food grains, rice mills, retail traders and others participated in the protest.

The trade bodies questioned the imposition of new agriculture tax in the State (Jharkhand) where agriculture is not the main occupation.

The traders claimed that Jharkhand is a mining state so the provision, which is imposition of new agriculture tax does not suit the State where agriculture is the main occupation and agro products are traded in mandis  and these mandis have been made available and maintained by state governments. So those states deserve to levy 0-2 percent as agriculture tax but there is not a single ‘mandi’ in Jharkhand. The different Bazar Samiti operating at different districts lacks basic infrastructure facilities such as roads, water and power connections among others.

After the dharna, a memorandum addressed to the Governor and Chief Minister was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district, demanding withdrawal of the decision to implement agriculture tax in the state.

Ranchi Chamber of Commerce under the leadership of Jharkhand Chamber in the capital Ranchi, Potato-Onion Wholesalers Association, Arhatti and Forest Produce Association, Agricultural Market Courtyard, main market of Pandara and Terminal Market and Wholesale of all agricultural produce of many areas outside the market courtyard.

The retail traders staged a dharna near Zakir Hussain Park from 9 am to 11 am. After the dharna, the memorandum of Hon'ble Governor, Hon'ble Chief Minister and Deputy Commissioner was handed over to the deputed magistrate. During the dharna no commercial activity took place in Pandara Bazar Committee till 11 am. During this period neither any kind of food grains were unloaded from the cart nor were any goods loaded on the cart. Business activities started in Pandara Bazar only after the end of the strike.

Chamber President Dheeraj Taneja said that the Agriculture Minister has referred to the Model Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (APLM) Act, 2017 to levy 2 per cent agricultural duty on agricultural produce in the state, whereas it is clear from the study of the said Act that there is no mention of levying duty anywhere in this Model Act.

It is said by the State government that the system of market mandis will be strengthened by levying this fee, but even when this fee was collected, no efforts were made for infrastructure development of market mandis. All the Bazar Mandi shops/godowns in the State are in dilapidated condition.

Jharkhand Chamber President Dheeraj Taneja, Vice President Deendayal Barnwal, General Secretary Rahul Maru, Co-Secretary Vikas Vijayvargiya, Treasurer Manish Sarraf, Executive Member Ram Bangad, Varun Jalan, Mukesh Agarwal, Amit Sharma among other traders were present on the occasion.