With the biggest Bengali festival to kick off in two months, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) imposed earlier in July has turned out to be a huge setback for the Durga Puja idol-makers of Kumartuli here.
According to them, the new tax is difficult for them to “understand and implement” as no circular on the new rates has been issued till date.
Meanwhile the prices of raw materials have surged, while thousands of idol-makers are still recovering from the impact of last year’s demonetisation.
Rabindra Sarani and Banamali Sarkar Street in Central Kolkata usually buzz with activity at this time of the year, as that is where Kumartuli, the city’s idol-making hub, is located. But this year the festive air is missing.
Kajol Paul who has been working with his brother Goutam Paul for more than 10 years, says the tax changes have been “excessive” for their industry. “Cost of clay has gone up to ₹200-250 as against ₹150-175 while bamboo and straw are priced between ₹150-175, which is higher than the previous year”, he says.
Famous artist Prasanta Paul, whose idols travel abroad, says even the pujas held internationally have limited budgets and hence, they are unsure how to handle service or delivery charges.
“Honestly, we do not know how the GST system works and therefore don’t know how much to charge for the idols,” he adds.
As the city gears up for the mega autumnal carnival, representatives of the Kumartuli Mrit Shilpa Sanskriti Samiti, an artisans’ association in northern Kolkata, anticipate a loss due to GST. Many say the money they make during this season sustains them through the rest of the year and thus “less income during the Puja season means lower living standards” for the rest of the year.
Biswanath Dey, a member of the association, says that since the pricing of basic commodities under the various GST slabs is still uncertain [which extensively varies from 5%–15%] it has not yet been decided if additional charges would be imposed on casual workers’ wages or delivery of idols.
Dey, who also is a decorator, says that “such uncertainty will disturb the market severely.” Secondly, GST levied by the transport agencies to deliver idols to other States and countries has “lowered demand”, he points out.
Demonetisation woes
Before GST got introduced halfway through 2017, the demonetisation announced last November, had taken its toll on the potters’ community. “Poor men like us were often split between working for the day or wasting it in queues exchanging our hard-earned 500s and 1000s,” recalls Surojit Nayek, a young potter from Kalighat.
The possibility of higher electricity bills also worries the artisans. Most of them work in low lighting. With the monsoon in full swing in Bengal, they need to use fans, heat guns and lights to dry the idols faster. “We are dreading the possibility of a 5% surcharge on solar lamps and 15-18% on motor costs, which might ruin us,” says another middle-aged potter. Other miscellaneous costs on paints, garments, and adornments also make them wonder how to balance expenses. “The more we think, the more complex it gets,” says Partha Paul.
“GST or no GST, we have to go about our business hoping that our toil pays off and the goddess along with her offspring is greeted well,” says the artist who has been making idols for over 30 years.
[ The writer is an intern with the Kolkata Bureau ]
