Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Trade bandh observed

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA MARCH 31. Most shops and business establishments remained closed in Vijayawada on Monday morning in response to the call given by various trade organisations seeking deferment of the VAT implementation in Andhra Pradesh.

However, by evening business picked up and buses were packed to capacity as a majority of traders opened their establishments since they were apprehensive of loosing their Ugadi festive shoppers.

Earlier in the day, traders in the busy Eluru, Besant, MG Road and other places downed their shutter in response to the bandh call.

The traders among other things are demanding that the State Government implement the VAT only if other States like Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and the Union territories are implementing the same. They are also demanding that the input credit should be extended to the total amount of tax paid by the dealer during his purchase and the provision of transition relief should be extended to all stocks lying with the dealers as on March 31.

Our Ongole Staff Reporters adds

Trade bandh observed on Monday by traders and businessmen protesting against the imposition of the VAT replacing the general sales tax by the Government was partial and peaceful.

The bandh was total at business centres like Gandhi Road, the Mahatma Gandhi Complex and the Kurnool Road while it was partial in the remaining parts of the district headquarter town. The trade leaders were seen enforcing bandh while going round shops and business establishments.

Meanwhile, according to reports reaching here the bandh was partial in other towns. In the municipal town of Markapur, the bandh impact was dismal. Traders under the leadership of the district Chamber of Commerce and Trade took out protest rallies in urban centres.

However, banks, cinema halls, schools and Government offices worked as usual. Banking transactions were affected to an extent due to bandh, sources said.

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