About 1300 channel partners rally against octroi in Mumbai

The Mumbai-based Trade Association of Information Techno­logy
(TAIT) joined hands with Maharashtra State Octroi Abolition Committee,
Maharashtra Chamber of Com­merce, Industry and Agri­culture (MACCIA) to
protest against octroi.

They organized a big rally at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on
March 20, 2006 to raise their voice. About, 1300 channel partners from all over
Maharashtra gathered for the protest along with 120 TAIT members. TAIT mem­bers
closed their shops to participate in the rally.

Prior to the rally the members had sent the slogans like
'Jakat Hatawa Maharashtra Vachva' (Remove octroi to save Maharashtra)
through telegrams and postcards to Vilasrao Deshmukh, CM, Maharashtra. Though CM
is yet to respond on the issue but Jayantrao Patil, Finance Minister of State
said there couldn't be an immediate solution to this issue.

While members TAIT feel that octroi is a completely
outdated and totally obsolete tax with an outmoded recovery mechanism. It is an
impediment to the economic growth of the state and its continued levy is against
the interest of the people in general and not just business community.

Champakraj Gurjar, Chair­man, TAIT said, “Government
should not levy such tax on us as IT industry is booming in India and such types
of tax create so much problem for businessmen. Not only people from IT industry
suffer but also people from other sectors face lots of problems.”

Many individual groups and associations have tried such
protests many times in last three years but the local government has not taken
any measures to abolish this tax or even to reduce the percentage of tax.
Earlier the octroi tax in Mumbai region was four percent but now it is 5.5
percent.

On asking whether this rally will have any effect on
government, Gurjar said “There is nothing wrong in trying, we should keep on
trying till it gets completely abolished from Maharashtra.” Throwing light on
this matter Chetan Shah, President, TAIT said, “This is for the first time
that all the associations have combined together to fight against octroi and we
will not stop till it is completely removed. We are going to have more such
activities in future.”

DQW News Bureau Mumbai, March 21