Textile traders across the State under the aegis of A.P. Federation of Textile Associations shut their businesses from Saturday as part of their indefinite trade bandh call demanding exemption of Value Added Tax (VAT) on sale of fabric.
Malls support bandh
Textiles counters only in malls and retail chains are not hit by the trade bandh. However, the federation leaders are trying to convince the managements of malls and retail chains to express their solidarity with textile trade bandh by suspending sale of fabric.
President of the federation Ammanabolu Prakash stated that even the malls had agreed to stop purchase of fabric from other States and selling it in AP.
The federation launched indefinite relay hunger strike here on Saturday opposing imposition of VAT on fabric. Associations elsewhere in the State also took out processions and staged protests in support of their demand.
Speaking at the indefinite relay hunger strike camp here president of the Federation of AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry Devendra Surana said it was unfortunate that VAT was imposed on sale of fabric only in Andhra Pradesh.
Six States had introduced VAT on fabric initially and five of them had withdrawn the same after protests from textile traders. He urged the State government to follow other States in this regard.
‘Unfair’
Mr. Prakash said bringing textiles under VAT by grouping it as sensitive commodity was unfair and they would abide it only if it was made part of all-India uniform taxation.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Vice-Chairman M. Shashidhar Reddy, who spoke to federation leaders on phone, assured that he would take up the matter with the State government.
They would try to take the issue to the notice of the government during the ensuing Assembly session, Mr. Prakash said.
