BHUBANESWAR: Commercial establishments across the State downed their shutters on Friday in view of the Bharat Vyapar Bandh called by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) over GST, fuel price hike and e-way bill.
In the Capital city, while shops remained closed throughout the day, government offices, banks, fuel filling stations and public transport services were unaffected.
Around 40,000 trade associations in the country had extended their support to the bandh and All India Transport Welfare Association (AITWA) also backed the strike. However, passengers faced a tough time as private buses remained off the roads to protest the rising fuel price.
Sources in the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) said the entire trading community in Odisha supported the bandh. “The bandh was peaceful and total. All the commercial centres, retails shops and hawkers supported the strike. The trading community has been opposing the GST,” said CITU State president Janardan Pati.
In Cuttack, around 1,200 traders took out a bike rally from Malgodown and reached Collectorate. They submitted a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister through Collector demanding to review the GST structure. At Sundargarh, members of the district unit of CAIT with support of the Rourkela Chamber of Commerce & Industry and CITU marched in a protest from Bisra Square to Uditnagar.
Addressing the protestors, CAIT’s national vice-president Brij Mohan Agarwal said arbitrary regulations and frequent changes in the GST along with imposition of penalties (GST) are causing untenable inconveniences and harassment for the traders and business firms.
Similarly in Jharsuguda, vehicular movement along with all commercial markets of Jharsuguda, Brajrajnagar, Belpahar, Bandhbahal and Banharpali area remained closed. The agitators shut down MCL’s Ib Valley, Lakhanpur, and Orient Area general manager offices. However, there was no impact on production.
In Koraput district, normal life was crippled due to the bandh. Members of Jeypore Chamber of Commerce took out a rally in Jeypore town protesting the GST. Police said the bandh remained peaceful as no untoward incident was reported in any part of the State.