Striking bullion traders and jewellers in Rampur on Thursday appealed the jewellers' associations, who are scheduled to meet the finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday, to keep the interests of the traders in mind.
Three weeks after protests by bullion traders, demanding a rollback on excise duty on branded jewellery, the finance minister called a meeting with jewellers' associations on Friday to sort out the issue.
Vice president of UP Udyog Vyapar Pratinidhi Sabha Dilip Goyal urged trade leaders "not to come to terms with the minister which hurt jewellers' interests."
Expressing anguish over the hike, Goyal alleged, "finance minister kept his ears and eyes closed to the 18-day long agitation of traders and remained unbothered of the losses incurred to exchequer due to lengthy suspension of business activities."