Nashik: Over 5,000 grocery retailers across Nashik city will go on strike on Saturday in support of foodgrain wholesalers, who are on an indefinite strike to protest against Nashik Agricultural Produce Market Committee’s (APMC) levy of 1% cess.
The wholesalers have been on strike since Wednesday. All the grocery retailers’ associations in the city have extended their support to the grain wholesalers.
Currently, wholesalers are paying service charge of Rs 30,000 annually to the Nashik APMC. Now, Nashik APMC has started recovering 1% cess from the wholesalers, December 1 onwards.
“We are not against paying the cess, but it should be as per the practice in other APMCs in the state where the nominal annual service charge is recovered. Nashik APMC management suddenly started levy of 1% cess without taking us into confidence,” said Prafulla Sancheti, the president of Nashik Dhannya Kirana Ghauk Vyapari Sanghatna (the wholesalers’ association).
“They started stopping vehicles of wholesalers at the entrance gate of the APMC to recover 1% cess from December 1, which irked the wholesalers,” said Sancheti. ,
“We will continue our indefinite strike until Nashik APMC withdraws the cess,” added Sancheti.
Meanwhile, a meeting between traders’ representatives and Nashik APMC was held on Friday noon, but could not reach an understanding.
Rahul Daga, an office bearer of grocery retailers and wholesalers’ association, said they also extended their support to the grain wholesalers.
According to APMC officials, some traders had earlier complained to the Maharashtra agriculture marketing board about the 1% cess, but the board had given the decision in favour of the Nashik APMC.
The wholesalers have been on strike since Wednesday. All the grocery retailers’ associations in the city have extended their support to the grain wholesalers.
Currently, wholesalers are paying service charge of Rs 30,000 annually to the Nashik APMC. Now, Nashik APMC has started recovering 1% cess from the wholesalers, December 1 onwards.
“We are not against paying the cess, but it should be as per the practice in other APMCs in the state where the nominal annual service charge is recovered. Nashik APMC management suddenly started levy of 1% cess without taking us into confidence,” said Prafulla Sancheti, the president of Nashik Dhannya Kirana Ghauk Vyapari Sanghatna (the wholesalers’ association).
“They started stopping vehicles of wholesalers at the entrance gate of the APMC to recover 1% cess from December 1, which irked the wholesalers,” said Sancheti. ,
“We will continue our indefinite strike until Nashik APMC withdraws the cess,” added Sancheti.
Meanwhile, a meeting between traders’ representatives and Nashik APMC was held on Friday noon, but could not reach an understanding.
Rahul Daga, an office bearer of grocery retailers and wholesalers’ association, said they also extended their support to the grain wholesalers.
According to APMC officials, some traders had earlier complained to the Maharashtra agriculture marketing board about the 1% cess, but the board had given the decision in favour of the Nashik APMC.
