Nashik: The foodgrain wholesalers, who had called for a strike on Wednesday against the Nashik Agricultural Produce Market Committee’s (APMC) decision to levy 1% cess, decided to continue their strike indefinitely after they did not get any response from the APMC.
These traders, operating at the Nashik APMC, cater to 70% of the city’s grain and grocery segment.
A delegation of traders, led by Prafulla Sancheti, the president of Nashik Dhannya Kirana Ghauk Vyapari Sanghatna (the wholesalers association), met Nashik APMC secretary Arun Kale and handed over him a memorandum seeking the rollback of 1% cess and instead adopt the method being used by other APMCs in the state.
“We have been paying annual service charges of Rs 30,000, but the Nashik APMC has levied 1% cess instead. The profit margin in the wholesale grain and grocery business is from half to 1%. A levy of 1% cess will affect our business,” said Sancheti.
A meeting of traders was held on Wednesday night to decide the future course of action.
When contacted, Kale said, earlier traders had complained to the Maharashtra agriculture marketing board about the 1% cess, but the board had given the decision in favour of the Nashik APMC.
“Moreover, an auditor during an audit had taken objection for not levying 1% cess as it was affecting the income of the APMC,” he said.
Devidas Pingle, the chairman of Nashik APMC, has warned of confiscation of the shops at the APMC premises.
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