Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Oct 23: The Andaman Chamber of Commerce and Industry has decided to observe “Trade Bandh” on 28th October against the problems the business community of these Islands is facing because of PBMC.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, the President ACCI, Mr G. Bhasker said that the PBMC is harassing the chamber in various subjects like unreasonable increase in the octroi, water charges, property tax, hoarding charges and as well as charging octroi in export of fish.
“In order to express our anger this is the first step the ACCI has decided in a peaceful manner and this protest will be participated by 30 associations which will be held from 6am to 8pm in the Port Blair municipal area, where the chamber will keep their demands in front of the PBMC and also educate the people in different ways about how the heavy octroi and other charges imposed on ACCI affects the common people,”. Mr Basker said.
The demand of the chamber is to abolish the octroi completely as nowhere in the country octroi is collected. The chamber further demanded that the property tax should be charged on the basis of built up area as it is done in the other parts of the country. It should not be charged on the basis of turnover.
Further Mr Basker stated that the council has increased the water charges from Rs 68 to Rs 204 per ton which is three times higher whereas in Mumbai the supply of drinking water to 5 star hotels is Rs 38 per ton only. In the same way the council has also increased the rental for hoardings annually from Rs 3300 to Rs 63800 which is twenty times higher, Mr Bhasker added.
“Tourism is the second largest employment creating Industry and in future it is going to be in the top but if the council will not facilitate the chamber with these demands it will kill the tourism industry in Port Blair,” Ex President of ACCI Mr Jadwet said.
From last five 5-6 years the chamber, which is an apex body of trade, has given away various representations to the council to find amicable solutions which is reasonable have not yielded any result, therefore the chamber is bound to register its protest as a first step to press its demands.
