Surat: The indefinite strike of textile Industry since July 1 to protest the implementation of GST in Surat and elsewhere in Gujarat and across the country would continue, the convener of Textile Bachao Sangarsh Samiti of Surat, the outfit leading the indefinite strike of the textile industry in this textile hub city of South Gujarat Tarachand Kasat today informed.

He said that a meeting of the textile traders was held here to discuss the assurances of the state government given during around 6 hour long marathon meeting with Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance minister Nitin Patel and other ministers including union minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who has been appointed emissary of sorts to resolve GST issues by the central government, in capital Gandhinagar last evening.

‘But the traders have decided to continue with the strike as the assurances were not sufficient and some think that these are misleading. The Prime Minister is from Gujarat, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is a Rajya Sabha member from the state and even the Textile minister is also a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat but we feel helpless. We will continue with our strike. The textile traders from across the state and the nation would join us from tomorrow to protest the stubborn attitude of the government,’ Kasat said.

‘We have demanded either keeping only yarn under the GST ambit or deferring the current structure of tax till April 1 ,2019 to give us enough time to be prepared for it. It is not a difficult proposal,’ he said.

Notably the textile traders had after the meeting yesterday said that any decision regarding ending the strike would be taken after a meeting today.The state government had agreed to put their demands before the GST council and revert in a week’s time.

DeshGujarat