With the state government failing to announce a one time settlement (OTS) policy for disposing off pending VAT assessment cases since 2014, members of various trader associations staged a symbolic protest against under the banner of Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal at Chauri Sadak in old city area on Tuesday.
They stated that if the government failed to announce the policy in 10 days, then they will organise statewide protests. They also rued that the state government and sales tax department were harassing them by issuing notices for cases pending since 2014, that too when businesses are already reeling under losses due to the pandemic.
Beopar mandal chairman Pawan Lehar and general secretary Sunil Mehra said that four meetings of the cabinet had been held after the CM announced that an OTS policy would be rolled out, but the government had failed to provide any relief. Mehra said,”If it isn’t announced in 10 days, agitations will be held across the state, even outside the houses of cabinet ministers.”
The traders also demanded that the professional tax and power bills for the lockdown period should be waived off.