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Irate traders continue stir
AS PART of its protest against the death of a trader, Ram Lakhan Jaiswal, under the custody of some Trade Tax officials here recently, members of the Varanasi Nagar Udyog Vyapar Mandal staged a dharna at the Visheshwarganj crossing on Monday. The agitated traders were demanding arrest of the accused officers and compensation for the family members of the deceased trader. General secretary of Mandal, Ajit Singh Bagga, expressed his concern over the apathetic attitude of trade tax officials while dealing with traders.
AS PART of its protest against the death of a trader, Ram Lakhan Jaiswal, under the custody of some Trade Tax officials here recently, members of the Varanasi Nagar Udyog Vyapar Mandal staged a dharna at the Visheshwarganj crossing on Monday. The agitated traders were demanding arrest of the accused officers and compensation for the family members of the deceased trader.
General secretary of Mandal, Ajit Singh Bagga, expressed his concern over the apathetic attitude of trade tax officials while dealing with traders. “Resentment is brewing among the traders against the apathetic attitude of trade tax officials and the day is not far when it will become difficult for trade tax officials to collect tax from the traders,” he said.
Bagga said that the traders would stage a demonstration at the Chowk crossing on January 18 to get their demands fulfilled immediately.
Vyapar Mandal patron Mohan Lal Sarawgi said that traders were in a mood to continue their agitation till the fulfillment of their demands. He also criticised the state government for not being insensitive towards Jaiswal’s death. “Traders have lost faith in the administrative system,” he said.
President of Udyog Vyapar Mandal, Jeth Mal Chandak, general secretary of Kashi Biscuit Vyapar Mandal, Ramesh Nirankari, president of Vishweshwarganj Bhaioronath Vyapar Mandal, Ashok Seth, Gokul Sharma of Yuva Vyapar Mandal, Shaligram, and other leaders alleged that anarchy and lawlessness prevailed everywhere in the State and no trader was secure during the regime of the Samajwadi Party-led State government.
It may be noted that a trader of Lohatia area, Ram Lakhan Jaiswal, died recently when some employees of Trade Tax department forcibly made an abortive attempt to take him to their office for payment of pending tax. A case had been lodged against five officials of the Trade Tax department on the complaint of the son of the deceased trader.
