Chavan accepts traders' demand on inclusion in LBT committee

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday accepted a key demand by agitating wholesale and retail traders to include their representative in the high level committee formed to look into the various issues faced by them in the implementation of local body tax (LBT).

The decision was announced by the agitating traders after their joint meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Chavan.

The Federation of Associations of Maharashtra, which had been spearheading the agitation, said the chief minister agreed to extend the last payment date of LBT to June 20 from May 20, with no payment of any interest or penalty where LBT was already applicable in Maharashtra. The same will be applicable for registration, too.

On LBT’s implementation in Mumbai, Chavan indicated that its implementation will be done by amending the necessary law in the state legislature. Besides, all stakeholders will be taken into confidence to arrive at a consensus.

In return, the traders have promised to suspend their agitation for at least a month.

The state chief secretary-headed committee, which has been given a mandate to assess various options to simplify the LBT implementation, has been asked to submit its report to the government within a month.

Currently, LBT is implemented in 24 civic bodies, while it will be launched in Nashik from June 1