Delegation of Chamber of Associations of Maharashtra Industry & Trade (CAMIT) led by Dipen Agrawal, President met Shri Sharad Pawar, National President, Nationalist Congress Party at Devgiri. The delegation submitted a memorandum highlighting issues of the business community requiring the immediate attention of the state government.
Dipen Agrawal on behalf of business community of the state said professional tax was introduced to raise additional resources for implementing the then Employment Guarantee Scheme and to establish Employment Guarantee Fund but after passing & implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, now renamed as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, popularly known as MGNEREGA, the business community in general and service class in particular strongly demand for abolishing Professional Tax form our State.
Dipen Agrawal expressing the plight of farmers said that APMC Act was enacted to protect the interest of farmers from being exploited by unscrupulous traders in traditional mandis. Market Committees were formed under the Act and were entrusted with the responsibility to develop a conducive environment for trade in agriculture products and to ensure the wellbeing of both the farmers and the traders. Nowadays agriculture produce trade has changed and almost in all centres farmers directly sell their produce to business establishments outside APMC market for better realization. Having said this Agrawal brought in the notice of Shri Sharad Pawar that the office bearers of these APMC’s, misinterpreting the provisions of APMC Act have started harassing and forcefully recovering Cess from business houses located outside the APMC Markets. The APMC has become the breeding ground for corruption he added and requested for the abolishment of APMC Act.
Delegation also explained Shri Pawarji the adverse impact on trade and commerce of the state due to unilateral exorbitant increase in rent by municipal corporations, unwarranted compliance prescribed by pollution control board for non-pollutant sawmill & wood based industry and hardship faced by traders from LBT Department under the garb of assessment proceedings under erstwhile LBT Rules.
Sharad Pawar ji patiently heard the delegation and assured that soon after winter session meeting of all stakeholders will be arranged to address the issues highlighted in memorandum so as to resolve them in the best interest of all concerned.
At the outset delegation congratulated him for grand success of NCP in recent assembly elections and forming post-poll alliance “Maha Vikas Aghadi†lead government. Pawar was felicitated with shawl, shriphal and flower bouquet. MLA – Shri Anil Deshmukh and Sanjay K. Agrawal, Ashok Ahuja, Shashank Kulkarni, Dhiraj Maloo, Laxman Mendare, Natwar Patel, Rajesh Ohri, Dinesh Sarda & Girish Liladiya were present in the meeting. Natwar Patel expressed gratitude towards Sharad Pawar and Anil Deshmukh on behalf of the business community of state for their time, patient hearing and their resolve to solve the problem of traders at the earliest.