A large number of gold and jewellery establishments remained shuttered on Wednesday as traders continued their strike to protest the Budget proposal to levy one per cent excise duty on non-silver jewellery. Most jewellery houses have been closed since March 2, demanding withdrawal of the proposed excise duty.
Thousands of jewellers and workers in the industry staged a dharna at 'Bara Choraha' in Kanpur on Wednesday protesting against the proposal, Mahesh Chandra Jain, President Uttar Pradesh Sarafa Association told the news agency. However, most of the jewellery showrooms in Tamil Nadu were open for regular trading.