Jaipur, Mar 15: Shops and business establishments in the city today downed their shutters in response to a bandh call by commerical and trade organisations to protest the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) from next month. The protesting traders also staged a dharna at Choti Chaupa , in the heart of the city, where a spokesman of the joint action committee warned that if the state government failed to review its decision to introduce VAT from April one, the traders would "stop collecting tax from consumers.”

The traders are more concerned about the stringent measures, including jail terms and heavy penalty, in the act against defaulters, he said.
Public and essential services, including transport, were kept out of the purview of the bandh.

Bureau Report