Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 28: As their strike entered Day 25, dozens of jewellers today staged a protest here in Old City against the one percent hike in Excise Duty and demanded its roll back.
The jewellers took out a march from Saraf Kadal to Baba Demb here and raised slogans like ‘We want justice’. The jewellers have pegged their tents in Srinagar city at Saraf Kadal. The protesters were led by Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) chairman Muhammad Yasin and were holding banners inscribed with slogans like ‘Rollback the Act’.
On the occasion, the KEA chairman said that the Government of India’s proposal to levy 1 per cent excise duty on gold should be roll backed from the state. “With the proposal by the GoI, the Valley Jewellers are going to face tough time in the state. The authorities are ignoring the hardships of valley jewelers,” he said.
The KEA chairman said the ongoing strike has resulted in tremendous loss to jewellers and the Government of India should take the matter seriously. Khan also said that the recommendations given by the Government of India should be looked seriously.
“We are living in the sensitive State where such kinds of act will prove dangerous to the people belonging to this trade. In this state, there is administrational pressure too. We appeal Government of India as well as the state government to look into the matter and redress the genuine grievances of traders soon,” he said.
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