New Delhi, Nov 17: Traders in the capital will keep shutters down today in response to a Delhi trade bandh call given by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh (DVM) in protest against the pressure being exerted on them by sales tax officials to fill the Trade Identification Number (TIN) forms.
The Tin forms have been issued by Delhi Sales Department and date for filling the forms has been extended upto December 12, 2003. Earlier, the deadline ended on October 31, 2003.
The decision to observe `trade bandh` was taken at a meeting after a unanimous decision taken by the representatives of over 100 trade associations of Delhi.
Criticising the lethargic attitude adopted by the Delhi Government, Cait secretary general Praveen Khandelwal said that despite the assurances given by the Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dixit and Finance Minister Mahinder Singh Sathi, the Sales Tax Department is putting undue pressure on traders to fill Tin form.
The pressure has led to anguish and resentment among the trading community, he said.



DVM president Manohar Lal Kumar stated that sales tax officers are visiting every market and pressing traders to fill ten-page long tin form and a minimum quota for getting the forms filled has been fixed for the tax officials.



Kumar regretted that the department is not giving statutory forms for sales tax returns for the ended quarter and is not accepted any documents as they are suggesting to fill tin form first, as a precondition.



The traders have decided not to fill the form and will fight tooth and nail to stop its implementation.



Khandelwal said that if the information required in the Tin form is leaked to the anti-social elements, the hardships for the traders can be beyond imagination. The leakage can result even upto black mailing and other happenings.


Bureau Report