Traders call for June 17 strike in Jammu & Kashmir

SRINAGAR: The Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation has given a call for strike on Saturday to protest against the implementation of goods and services tax in the state, reiterating its apprehension that the new tax regime will dilute the special status of Jammu and Kashmir within the Constitution of India.

The strike has been called on a day when the Mehbooba Mufti government is due to start the special session of the assembly to deliberate upon and pass the modified GST law for the state. “GST will affect the Article 370. KTMF will not allow the state government to implement this in the state,” Bashir Ahmad Rather, the chairman of the federation told media persons.

Business lobbies including the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, opposition leaders and separatist Hurriyat Conference leaders have also repeatedly expressed concerns over the implementation of tax regime, which they claimed would impact the fiscal autonomy of the state. The PDP-BJP government, which failed to build a consensus during the all-party meeting, is under pressure to defer the assembly session after the formal inauguration on June 17. The opposition has blamed the PDP-BJP leadership of “being confused and playing with fire”.

POLICEMAN SHOT
Unidentified gunmen shot dead a policeman in Bogund village of Kulgam in south Kashmir on Thursday. According to police, the slain policeman was identified as Shabir Ahmad Dar, who was associated with the Special Operation Group of police, which is at the forefront of anti-militancy operations.