Loss of business worth crores of rupees
Nagpur: This year, the citizens of Nagpur are going to spend Gudi Padwa sans gold jewellery. Every year till date, Gudi Padwa had scores of women and families buying gold or silver jewellery from the various Jewellery shops or showrooms.
However, this year, all the jewellery shops wear a deserted look with the shutters down and the security guards lazing around.
All this because city jewelers and allied workers of Jewellery trade are on indefinite strike from the time that Union Budget was presented by Union Cabinet Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley proposing 1% additional Excise Duty to be levied on gold jewellery. The protesting jewelers are demanding rollback the 1% additional Excise Duty. The indefinite strike which has the active support of all jewelers in the country has reached more than 40 days.
While speaking exclusively with Nagpur Today, office-bearers of Gold Merchants’ Association said that they are irked with the insensitivity of the present government which rose to power with the very votes that they put and now are out to make their life miserable by the additional Excise Duty of 1% slated to be levied on gold jewellery.
The office-bearers claimed that the loss of business because of the strike so far runs into crores of rupees. Even if the jewellery shops do not well on Gudi Padwa, many very favourable and auspicious dates for marriages are present in this month. The would-be brides look forward to be decked up with the gold jewellery on the day of marriages. However, their dreams will be shattered with the jewellery shops closed.
One of the office-bearers of Gold Merchants’ Association Chandrakant Armarkar
Jewellers of Jalgaon withdraw from the strike
In order to prevent from poverty and hunger, Jewellers of Jalgaon withdraw from the strike and open their shops and are seen doing brisk business. Sources claim that the jewelers have been keeping their shops open from the last 10 days. The jewelers of Jalgaon claimed that the Sarafa Association of Jalgaon has definitely supported the nation-wide support to the on-going strike of Gold jewelers and allied traders. But keeping the shops closed is against the interest of the traders.
