Excise Update: Strike called off temporarily in Maharashtra

Jewellers in Maharashtra have called off their strike temporarily, from 14th to 24th April, says reports.

"We are meeting the Union Minister Piyush Goyal tomorrow in Delhi with our demands, which include paying additional one per cent additional tax on VAT instead of excise duty, no maintenance of extra register keeping details of each items, no additional tax on remake of old jewellery and no inspection of manufacturing and retail units," Maharashtra Rajya Saraf Suvarnakar Federation President Fatechand Ranka has been quoted as saying.

For this, the strike has been reportedly called off in the state from April 14 to 24. However, if their demands are not met, the jewellers in Maharashtra are likely to resume the strike.

Meanwhile, jewellers from Kolkata, Hyderabad and Uttar Pradesh have already opened their shops since yesterday. Even a fraction of Madhya Pradesh Jewellers Association called off the strike after an assurance from Union finance minister Arun Jaitely on Monday.

Since 2nd March, jewellers across the country are on indefinite strike as a protest against the Union Budget proposal to levy 1 per cent excise duty on non-silver jewellery.

However, jewellers are divided over fulfillment of demands - complete rollback of 1 per cent excise duty.