Big stores fall in line against VAT

Vijayawada: A joint meeting of the managements of the big cloth stores and the representatives of the agitating Andhra Pradesh Textile Federation (APTF) has resolved to intensify the agitation against the value added tax (VAT).A The meeting was held at the initiative of the president of the Vijayawada Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vellampalli Ramachandra Rao. The meeting was held in the light of the textile merchants holding protest at one of the big cloth stores in the city on Monday leading to tension and subsequent arrest of over 100 merchants. Though the small and medium textile traders have been on strike and holding relay hunger strike against VAT and the inclusion of cloths in the sensitive commodities list, the owners of the big stores are continuing their business leading to a conflict. The members of the APTF have been arguing that VAT was not possible for the small and medium traders and also it would be an additional burden on the consumers.A As the managements of the big stores have also agreed to join the strike, the APTF leaders said that the strike would continue till the government goes back on the VAT. They said that they would also intensify the agitation against VAT and mount pressure on the government from various quarters.A The APTF convener, Busireddy Malleswara Reddy, city cloth merchants' association leaders Ch Raghuram and B Narasimha Rao and others were present. Malleswara Reddy said that they would continue the agitation until the government withdrew the tax on textiles.