Members of the Tirunelveli District Beedi Workers' Federation Union took out a rally at Palayamkottai on Wednesday demanding the immediate withdrawal of the recently hiked Value Added Tax in the State. The rallyists said the beedi manufacturing industry, which had already been affected badly owing to a lot of reasons, had been hit hard again by the 14.50 per cent Value Added Tax imposed by the State Government from July 12.
The beedi manufacturing industry and the 10 lakh labourers working in this industry would be in dire straits. Protesting it, the beedi workers took out a procession from Lourdhunathan Statue on the South Bazaar to Jawahar Grounds in Palayamkottai, where a demonstration was held.
