Friday’s trade bandh against the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) from July 1, called by Bharatiya Vyapar Udyog Mandal, evoked partial response in Bengal with the wholesale market at Burrabazar in Kolkata remained completely closed whereas the retail business in other parts of the city — save the colonial New Market — functioned almost normally.
The bandh followed almost similar pattern in other parts of the State with wholesale business in Siliguri, Asansol and other bigger cities remaining totally closed whereas the retailers and malls did brisk business through the day.
In what seemed to be the outcome of fear for unknown most traders said they weren’t sure of what to do with the changed tax regime different associations of businessmen took out huge rallies at Posta-Burrabazar the largest wholesale market in Asia.
“We are protesting not so much against the implementation of GST itself, rather we are against the shabby way it is being implemented.
It seems that the Government itself is not aware of the magnitude of hardship it has forced on the lakhs of traders in the country,” said an office bearer of Federation of West Bengal Trade Associations.
Rabindranath Koley the General secretary of Forum of Traders Organisation of Paschimbanga which had opposed the bandh however said only four out of the 46 Kolkata Municipal Corporation Markets remained closed.
“It seems that the protest is not because of the traders do not want to comply with the GST regime rather they are agitated about the complexities of the new tax system. Most of them are protesting against the three returns to be filed in a month which they will take much time out of their business hours” said Dharamdas Agarwala a wholesale cloth merchant.
Rafiq Jumadin a wholesale trader wondered “why the Government is taxing the textile industry. This is going to throw many people out of job.” However, Shantanu, a CA said the new regime would only create more jobs as the “traders will now have to appoint professionals expert in computers and taxation.”
On penalty and punishment part of it the traders said they were apprehensive of being victimized by the powers that be. “We are told that the new system entails punishment and penalty. This means that the tax administration will continue to harass the traders putting them to jail.”
Sources in Chamber of Textile Trade and Industry which had observed three days bandh including that on Friday said “we will observe the proceedings in the coming weeks and if things look threatening we may go for continued bandh.”
Incidentally Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had in the past a few years constantly stood against bandh as a tool of protest had backed the striking traders.