The CITU has deplored the 14.5 per cent increase in sales tax on beedi proposed in the budget by Finance Minster K.M. Mani.
The CITU district committee at a meeting observed that as the beedi industry was a traditional industry, the successive governments had been refraining from hiking the sales tax on beedi. If the government enforced the revised tax structure from April 1, livelihood of hundreds of beedi workers would be affected. About 70 per cent of the 1,500-odd beedi workers in the district were women.
The CITU urged the government to withdraw the tax proposal. The meeting was attended by CITU district president K. Balakrishnan, State vice president A.K. Narayanan, State committee member P. Appukuttan and district general secretary T.K. Rajan. — Staff Reporter