Maharashtra traders threaten to resume anti-Local Body Tax agitation

Retail traders in Maharashtra have threatened to resume their agitation if the state government fails to resolve the Local Body Tax (LBT) issue.

Retail traders in Maharashtra have threatened to resume their agitation if the state government fails to resolve the Local Body Tax (LBT) issue.

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"The government must resolve the LBT issue, or else we along with other important associations all over Maharashtra will be forced to resume our agitation in Maharashtra and Mumbai," Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association president Viren Shah said in a statement here.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had earlier assured the traders that LBT would not be implemented in Mumbai in a hurry.

The tax, which replaces octroi, has been brought into force in some other cities. Traders are opposed to it, fearing increase in tax burden and harassment from officials.

Federation of Associations of Maharashtra (FAM) president Mohan Gurnani said in a statement that in a meeting on June 12, the chief secretary had refused to form a committee and indicated that LBT would be introduced in Mumbai as scheduled, contrary to the chief minister's assurance.

In a meeting with the chief minister on May 24, traders were specifically assured that a separate committee would be formed to discuss the issue, he said.

FAM has convened its executive committee meeting on June 19 to decide the future course of action, he added.