Bars and permit rooms across Nagpur, including rural areas, remained shut on Monday in response to the statewide bandh observed today, July 14. The protest, called by the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR), is aimed at opposing the recent hike in Value Added Tax (VAT) and other levies imposed on bars and permit rooms in Maharashtra.
Members of the Nagpur District Permit Room Association, along with several bar associations, joined the bandh in full solidarity. A protest was also held earlier at Samvidhan Square, where bar owners voiced their concerns over what they termed as an “unfair tax burden” on their establishments.
Anand Singh, President of the Nagpur Gramin Bar Association, confirmed the total shutdown of permit rooms and bars in the district’s rural areas today.
“Our main demand is the complete withdrawal of the 10% VAT imposed on permit rooms and bars,” Singh reiterated. “If this tax applies to us, it should also be levied on wine shops selling the same products. This selective taxation is discriminatory.”
Bar owners argue that the increased tax not only hurts their profitability but also risks job losses in the hospitality sector and could lead to price hikes for consumers. They are urging the state government to roll back the VAT hike and implement a fair taxation policy for all alcohol-selling entities.
Today’s bandh saw significant participation from hospitality businesses across the state, underscoring growing discontent within the industry over the revised tax structure.
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