HYDERABAD: While there was a mixed response in Hyderabad on Monday to the bandh called by textile traders, in other districts the strike was reported to be near total. Shopping malls and retail stores ran their businesses as usual as many sell other goods apart from fabric. However, on request from the Andhra Pradesh Federation of Textile Associations, malls have decided not to sell readymade garments and other textile good from Tuesday.
On Monday, over 5,000 traders from Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda staged a daylong demonstration at Dharna Chowk in Indira Park, demanding the state government to withdraw VAT on textiles.
Speaking to Express, Twin Cities' VAT-JAC of APFTA convener, Ammanabolu Prakash said the imposition of five percent VAT on textiles has hit traders hard and 40 percent of traders have moved to neighbouring states.
He appealed to the chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to keep the government order in abeyance till the Goods and Service Tax is implemented across the country.
"About 90 percent of traders have shut down their shops to participate in hunger strikes and submitted memorandums to concerned ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs," Prakash said.
"We held talks with the shopping malls and asked them not to sell garments," he added.
On Tuesday, a few thousand traders from Khammam, Karimnagar, Warangal, Adilabad, Nizamabad and Medak districts will gather at the Dharna Chowk and take part in the relay hunger strike.
Hyderabad Cloth Merchants Association president, Dharminder Goel said if there is no response from the state government, a Chalo Hyderabad programme will be undertaken by traders from March.