Business worth Rs 6,800 cr hit as Rajasthan mandi traders go on strike

Rajasthan’s commodity traders have been on strike for the past four days, demanding a cut in mandi tax.

 

Work in 247 mandis or commodity markets in the state has stopped and business worth ₹6,800 crore has been affected during this period, according to commodity traders.

 

Babulal Gupta, president of Rajasthan Khadya Pradarth Vypar Sangh, a body of commodity traders, said, due to the government’s indifference, business worth ₹6,800 crore has been lost so far.

 

Commodity traders and mill owners are demanding the government abolish the Krishak Kalyan Fee and the mandi tax of 1.60 per cent on agricultural commodities coming from outside the state. Presently, the state levies 0.5 per cent tax under Krishak Kalyan, which is projected to increase to 1 per cent by March 1.

   

They also ask that the commission or aadat on millets, also known as shrianna, be increased to 2.25 per cent from 1 per cent. Traders from Jaipur, Kota, Bikaner, Ajmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Bharatpur prepare to launch a bigger movement if their demands are not met, said Gupta.

 

The four-day strike started on February 24, but it has been extended till March 2 because no talks have been held so far with the state authorities. Turnover of more than ₹6,000 crore is likely to be affected till then, he added.

 

“Overall, a loss of over ₹12,000 crore is estimated to be affected if strike continues till March 2,” he said. In the four days of the strike, business worth more than ₹250 crore has been affected in Jaipur alone, Gupta added.

 

Gupta said a letter had been sent to Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma requesting that the problems of traders be resolved soon, but so far no positive response has been shown by the government.

 

Due to the halt, a shortage of agri commodities in the markets is being reported. Traders said state government will be solely responsible if the prices of grains and pulses increase due to the insufficiency.