Jamshedpur, March 28: Jewelers across Jamshedpur and Kolhan Division will re-launch the indefinite strike from Tuesday, March 29.
This means the jewelry shops will remain closed for the second time in one month.
Jewelry shops that were reopened for about a week on March 20 following 18 days of closure will go on strike from March 29, for the second time in March.
More than 900 shops in the Kolhan division, including 700 shops in the city, will be remain closed from Tuesday to protest the proposed re-imposition of 1 percent excise duty and the mandatory PAN cards for any transactions of Rs 2 lakh and above.
Jamshedpur Jewelers’ Association held a meeting at Chamber Bhawan on Sunday where the members decided to re-launch the indefinite strike where jewelers and artisans will be part of the bandh.
Vipin Adeshra, president of Jamshedpur Jewelers’ Association, said the indefinite strike against the excise duty is continuing in several parts of the country and with a view to extend support to them; jewelers from Jamshedpur will also be on indefinite strike from Tuesday, March 29.
He appealed the jewelers, artisans and corporate jewelers to be part of the strike and keep their shops closed. At the meeting representatives of several trade organizations and jewelers in big numbers were present.
Dharmendra Kumar, spokesperson of Jamshedpur Jewelers Association, said, All-India Gems and Jewelry Federation will hold a meeting at Mumbai on Wednesday, March 30, where Vipin Adeshra of Jamshedpur will participate. During the meeting future strategies of the strike will be discussed.
Significantly, representatives of All-India Gems and Jewelry Federation held a meeting with BJP national president Amit Shah and Union minister Piyush Goyal in Delhi on March 19 and subsequently decided to call off their strike. During the meet, Shah and Goyal assured that federation that no official of the excise department would enter the jewelry shops and jewelers can deposit the excise duty as VAT.
However, in several locations of the country the jewelers and artisans didn’t consider the condition and again went on indefinite strike and are firm on roll back of excise duty. Supporting the same Jamshedpur Jewelers’ Association will be on strike from Tuesday, March 29.