While markets across state were shut for two days on July 15-16, the grain market was closed for the second day
Despite Local Body Tax (LBT) not being applicable to essential commodities like foodgrains, grain shops at Navi Mumbai’s Agricultural Produce and Marketing Committee remained shut to support the Federation of Associations of Maharashtra (FAM) in its protest against LBT on Tuesday. The APMC grain market came to a standstill on July 16, with not a single shop open in protest of the imposition of LBT.
While markets across Maharashtra were shut for two days, July 15-16, the APMC grain market was just closed for a day. The circular saying there would be a complete shutdown was issued on July 15.
Traders at the grain market came out in full support for the strike. “Traders will have to increase the price of commodities if the government imposes LBT,” said a trader at APMC market.
Jayesh vora, director of APMC said, “Even though there is no LBT on the merchants of grain markets in Navi Mumbai, the market is shut is in support of FAM. It is a one day strike.”
Mohan Gurnani, president of FAM, said, “We were unhappy with the way the government was dealing with this new form of tax which is to be introduced in Mumbai and so we called a bandh for two days.
The government had even promised that a committee will be formed soon to deal with the matter but no such thing has happened. We want the government to abolish LBT.”u00a0
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