Jewellers form action committee to take a call on strike

Move follows PMO's refusal to entertain a request for a meeting with Modi on the excise duty issue

After a denial from the prime minister’s office on a meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with striking jewellers on excise duty withdrawal, various associations representing ornament makers and retailers across the country have formed a committee to decide on the 36-day stir.

Jewellers went on indefinite strike from March 1, in protest at the one per cent excise duty announced in Union Budget 2016-17. Despite meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and other cabinet colleagues, the trade got no assurance from the government for excise rollback.

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The finance ministry has said there will be no raids on jewellers from the excise department, pending the report of a panel on how to administer the levy as smoothly as possible.

“Talks regarding the task force can be done with the ministry and discuss ease of doing business and powers of the excise department and no harassment to any jeweller,” said Mohit Kamboj, president, India Bullion and Jewellers Association.

There is talk that the strike could be called off in a couple of days, on the occasion of the Gudi Padwa festival in western India. The festival falls on April 8.

All India Association of Jewellers empowered the All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF) and the Action Committee to take the strategy forward.

The Finance Ministry on March 19 formed a committee on implementation of excise levy in jewellery sector which is scheduled to submit its report in two months.