Representative image with the word 'tax'.
Credit: iStock Photo
Bengaluru: Small entrepreneurs, including bakery owners and street vendors, under the Karnataka State Workers’ Council (Bakery Condiments and Small Entrepreneurs Section), have planned protests on July 23 and 24, against the commercial taxes department.
They alleged that officials were levying fines without clear criteria, jeopardising their livelihoods.
The protest call was given by the Karnataka State Workers’ Council president Ravi Shetty Byndoor, in association with hundreds of organisations.
Byndoor said across the state, street vendors selling bakery condiments, flowers, fruits, vegetables, meat, milk and panipuri were being targeted.
He said the authorities were using commercial tax as a weapon, imposing huge fines on the vendors.
He has questioned the criteria for imposing such fines. Byndoor demanded that the notices be withdrawn immediately, and the vendors be allowed to register themselves and pay taxes on taxed goods, while being exempt from untaxed goods.
As part of the protest, vendors will wear black bands while selling goods on July 23 and 24, and refrain from selling milk, tea, coffee and milk products during this period, he said.