Jewellers protest two pc hike in VAT

Members of various organisations staged a stir against shifting of CNN office

The jewellers who assembled under the banner of ‘Shroff Varthakara Sangha’ on Ashoka Road, the hub of jewellery shops, raised slogans against the government for coming out with a decision that could prove fatal to them.

The very decision will shoo away the customers, whose numbers are already dwindling every day with high market price for per gram of gold. When this is the situation, the government should have taken a cautious step.

As part of the protest call, the traders in the other parts of the city too closed business for the day.

The protest was led by the Sangha president Nagappa Shetty and Vice-president Agarwal supported by its members in large numbers.

CNN office

Activists owing allegiance to different organisations staged a protest in front of Cauvery Neeravari Nigam (CNN) Chief Accounts Office here on Friday, opposing the move to shift the office to neighbouring Bangalore city.

They alleged that a decision in this regard is in the offing, owing to the pressure from the vested interests within the department. If it happens, the people and contractors in particular who have been undertaking several works, in Mysore, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu districts will be put into hardship. Henceforth, they have to look towards Bangalore office for every work related procedures.

K S Shivaramu of Karnataka Rajya Hindulida Vargagala Jagrutha Vedike, Siddaramaiah Fans Association President Hinkal Prakash, Kannada activist H S Sujeeth Kumar and others were present.