A preliminary estimate by the Maharashtra government agencies and various industry and business bodies shows that the day-long bandh for the formation of a separate Vidarbha state today has caused a revenue loss of around Rs 1,000 crore.
This was largely due to the near total closure of wholesale and retail markets and lack of collection of important cess and taxes including central excise, VAT, octroi and service tax.
This was the first bandh after a similar bandh took place in 1975. Barring stray incidents of stone pelting, rasta and rail roko, according to the police sources, the bandh was peaceful.
Sources at the state government and industry chambers told Business Standard on phone from Nagpur, “Information gathered from 11 districts, where people from all sections participated in today’s bandh organised by the Vidarbha Rajya Sangram Samiti, show that the loss will be minimum of Rs 1,000 crore. A real picture will come to us in next two to three days. Practically, operations come to a near halt at majority wholesale and retail markets of steel, hardware, oil, grain, cloth, oil merchant, kirana, sugar, hosiery cloth, mill and machinery.”
Due to lack of freight movements, Octroi collection depots in these districts wore a deserted look.
However, sources said the major industries and other ancillaries in some of the districts were closed down not because of today’s bandh but today was a shutdown due to power cut.
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Former president of the Vidarbha Economic Development Council Govind Daga said, “It should not be seen as a loss but an investment for much more rapid development when a separate Vidarbha state takes place.
People across the region strongly feel that its high time a Vidarbha state was formed to avoid continued neglect.”
Meanwhile, Congress MP from Nagpur and the former Union minister Vilas Muttemwar claimed that the bandh was total and people had joined on their own. “I have already sought the PM’s appointment for a meeting with an all party delegation on the formation of a Vidarbha state. Besides, the Vidarbha Rajya Sangram Samiti will soon meet presidents of all political parties to seek their support for Vidarbha statehood, he said.”