Nashik: Wholesale traders — who are on an indefinite strike to protest against the Agriculture Produce Market Committee’s decision to levy a 1% cess on the volume of business — fear the general public may ultimately have to bear the brunt, as there could be a short supply of goods over the next few days if the issue is not resolved soon. The added that more traders from across the district are set to join the protest.
Many wholesalers and retailers in Nashik city had kept their establishments shut for a day in support of the wholesale traders at the Nashik APMC going on an indefinite strike. While the shops in the Ravivar Karanja, a major trade hub, remained closed throughout the day, some shops in other parts of the city were open.
Prafull Sancheti, the president of the Nashik Dhanya Kirana Ghauk Vyapari Sanghatana (wholesale traders’ association), said, “This is just the beginning of the agitation against the Nashik APMC, which was collecting the cess ‘illegally’ even though the traders with shops at the Sharadchandra Pawar Market Yard were paying the annual maintenance.”
“We will fight till the time the APMC withdraws the cess,” Sancheti said. Briefing the media, Sancheti said the traders were unnecessarily being harassed by the APMC that is collecting the cess on agriculture goods, which do not come under the ambit of the goods controlled by the APMC Act. Moreover, wholesale traders have slim business margins — 1.5% at most. If the APMC levies 1% cess, then the wholesalers will have to increase the cost of the goods accordingly. “Ultimately, the consumer will have to bear the cost,” Sancheti added.
The traders said since all the 70 wholesales in the market yard have stopped their businesses indefinitely, there is bound to be a cascading effect. “There are very few wholesalers outside the market yard and they too are set to join the agitation if the APMC failed to repeal its decision. Supplies to the retail shops have already stopped and the city will feel the impact when the shops run out of the supplies,” warned Santosh Patel, another trader.
They have petitioned district collector Suraj Mandhare to intervene in the matter.
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