The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) will launch an indefinite agitation to force the GST council to repeal the GST on pre-packed and labelled food items, CAIT national secretary S.S. Manoj has said.
Inaugurating a black day and dharna organised by traders in front of the Central GST office here on Monday, he said the tax on unbranded food items would benefit online monopolies and affect the livelihood of farmers and traders. He urged the Kerala Assembly to pass a resolution against the new tax and called on MPs from the State to raise the issue in Parliament.
CAIT State president P. Venkatarama Iyer, leaders of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti (KVVES), Federation of Residents Association, Thiruvananthapuram (FRAT), Society for People’s Rights, Grain Merchants Association and Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry addressed the dharna.
Later, a delegation of leaders submitted a memorandum to GST Commissioner Giridhar Pai.