Food, medicines hard to get as strike starts on Tuesday

Hotels and restaurants in Bengaluru had downed their shutters on Tuesday, protesting against the increased tax slabs under the proposed Goods and Services Tax.

Bengaluru

Hotels and restaurants had downed their shutters on Tuesday, protesting against the increased tax slabs under the proposed Goods and Services Tax; while numerous pharmacies too remained closed in protest against the Centre’s decision to allow online sales of medicines.

Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels’ Association stated that all their 3,000 members, who run nearly 6,000 hotels and eateries in the city, had decided to go on a one-day strike. Under the current rates, eateries pay around 4% central tax. Under GST, however, the tax will increase to 12% for smaller eateries and 18% for larger hotels. This would mean a price increase of ₹5 for even a plate of Idli Vada.

“We will have to increase the prices of food, and we will definitely lose customers. Imagine the job losses if hotels start to close down,” said Rajeev Shetty, association vice-president.

Meanwhile, many of the nearly 8,000 pharmacies in the city were closed in protest against the decision of the Union Government to start an e-portal where medicines could be bought. This, said protestors, would not only endanger their livelihoods but also create a mismatch in supply of medicines. “Pharmacists are licensed and trained. So we can aid the customer to purchase medicines. But online, anyone can buy medicines, even minors,” said MK Mayanna, president of Bruhat Bengaluru Chemists’ and Druggists’ Association.

Moreover, with the rule stating that every pharmacy has to mandatorily upload their medicine stock, the fear is that rural pharmacies will not have the infrastructure to cope with this digital demand.