SURAT: Ahead of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's visit to the city, senior BJP leaders made all-out efforts to placate the textile and diamond industry that are bleeding due the twin impact of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation.
While Union textile minister Smriti Irani is scheduled to meet a delegation of textile businessmen in New Delhi on Wednesday, railway minister Piyush Goyal, Union minister of state for road transport and highways Mansukh Mandaviya reached city and held hectic parleys with the representatives of both the sectors. National BJP president Amit Shah, who addressed nearly 1,000 page pramukhs in the city, also joined the meeting at night.
Representatives of both the key sectors of Surat are hopeful that all their demands regarding GST would be met ahead of the GST Council meeting scheduled on November 10.
After the meeting, president, Federation of Surat Textile Traders Association (FOSTTA) Manoj Agrawal said, "We have put up all our demands. However, simplification of GST will not work and the markets will die a slow death. Till July we used to produce 4.5 crore metre fabric, which has now halved to just 2.5 crore."
Goyal, who came specially to meet textile and diamond groups, met in all seven groups of 60 people each from different segments. The seven key segments include grey fabric manufacturers, embroidery and zari unit owners, yarn manufactures, dyeing mill and processing unit owners, weavers, textile traders, diamond polishing units and diamond brokers.
The meetings were held at Nandanvan Farm on Surat-Dumas road.
Regional chairman, Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), Dinesh Navadia said, "We discussed two key demands. There should be no GST on business-to-business transaction and GST on labour work for SME sector."
President of South Gujarat Processors Association Jitu Wakhariya said, "Goel and Shah have promised us that issue of GST on nano fabric will be sorted and announcement will be made soon."
While Union textile minister Smriti Irani is scheduled to meet a delegation of textile businessmen in New Delhi on Wednesday, railway minister Piyush Goyal, Union minister of state for road transport and highways Mansukh Mandaviya reached city and held hectic parleys with the representatives of both the sectors. National BJP president Amit Shah, who addressed nearly 1,000 page pramukhs in the city, also joined the meeting at night.
Representatives of both the key sectors of Surat are hopeful that all their demands regarding GST would be met ahead of the GST Council meeting scheduled on November 10.
After the meeting, president, Federation of Surat Textile Traders Association (FOSTTA) Manoj Agrawal said, "We have put up all our demands. However, simplification of GST will not work and the markets will die a slow death. Till July we used to produce 4.5 crore metre fabric, which has now halved to just 2.5 crore."
Goyal, who came specially to meet textile and diamond groups, met in all seven groups of 60 people each from different segments. The seven key segments include grey fabric manufacturers, embroidery and zari unit owners, yarn manufactures, dyeing mill and processing unit owners, weavers, textile traders, diamond polishing units and diamond brokers.
The meetings were held at Nandanvan Farm on Surat-Dumas road.
Regional chairman, Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), Dinesh Navadia said, "We discussed two key demands. There should be no GST on business-to-business transaction and GST on labour work for SME sector."
President of South Gujarat Processors Association Jitu Wakhariya said, "Goel and Shah have promised us that issue of GST on nano fabric will be sorted and announcement will be made soon."
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