UMERKOTE: Reacting to what they called an overdrive of GST collection, members of the chamber of commerce in Umerkote observed a 12-hour bandh in the town on Thursday.
All shops and business establishments remained closed as over 300 traders staged a rally alleging that arbitrary GST raids are jeopardising their commercial prospects, and submitted a memorandum to the local tehsildar.
Sources said, GST authorities had conducted two raids to collect tax from urban areas in the town last week. This had not gone down well among the local traders who felt they were being harassed by the raids.
Traders claimed that they were being marginalised by GST authorities who in the last five months conducted eight to nine such raids. Within a span of four months, 26 traders of Umerkote have faced raids by GST authorities and slapped with hefty tax.
Deputy commissioner GST Samir Majhi said, "The raids were carried out in Umerkote on receiving specific complaints of tax avoidance. Besides, we have to achieve our assigned targets too."