Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 23: Jewellers across Jammu region struck their work today and held a strong protest demonstration at Jain Bazar Jammu to press the Union Government for carrying out some necessary amendments in the new BIS Act, wherein hallmarking has been made mandatory for all jewellers across the country.
Members of Sarafa Association Jammu Province (SAJP) and Swarankar Sangh Jammu, took part in the protest demonstration, which was led by Raman Suri, President SAJP.
Jewellers across Jammu downed shutters of their showrooms for one day as a matter of protest and decided to take next action after some days.
Addressing the protesting jewellers and manufacturers, Raman Suri said that making Hallmarking mandatory was a welcome step, but jewellers across the country were facing hardships in getting the jewellery items hallmarked because of less number of hallmark centres and moreover it was practically impossible to get delicate items stamped with HUID (Hallmarking Unique Identification Number).
He further said that this one-day token strike was mandated to let the Government know that things are not going well on ground. He said, the new BIS Act and the way in which BIS authorities are trying to implement the Government orders, is not at all going on in sync with the recommendations of NITI Aayog.
Addressing the gathering, Swarankar Sangh Adhoc Committee Jammu President Kulbhushan Anand said that the implementation of new laws has been done in an arbitrary manner, especially Hallmarking of gold jewellery with HUID wherein jewellers are finding it hard to implement the same in letter and spirit.
The protesting jewellers urged the Union Government, especially Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Director-General Pramod Kumar Tiwari to revisit the Act and also the recommendations of NITI Aayog, so that real issues confronting the jewellers are ably understood and then implemented after necessary amendments.
They added that due to certain issues, the jewellery business was suffering hugely. Despite that, jewellers in Jammu have gone only on a day-long strike to draw attention of Government towards their issues, said Raman Suri.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
