Biggest wholesale trade centre wore deserted look

The biggest wholesale market of Odisha at Malgodown here wore a deserted look today as traders stopped procuring essential grocery products like edible oil, sugar, wheat products like flour, suji, maida and all varieties of pulses demanding withdrawal of VAT on food items.
Joining the strike called by All Odisha Traders' Association against what they called imposition of "exorbitant" and "uncalled" for VAT on these products by the state government, the Malgodown traders have decided not to procure them henceforth.
"The trade in these products will continue here till the existing stocks last", said an executive member of the traders' association of Malgodown adding that the stocks in godowns will last for a week or so.

Retailers elsewhere depending on Malgodown fear that these essential products will vanish from the markets soon and whatever little will be available till then, will be sold at a premium.
"Wheat products and pulses, which are procured from outside the state, invite a VAT of five per cent here", said a trader Prakash Panda adding that most of the states in the country do not levy any VAT or a maximum of one per cent on wheat products and pulses.
It may be mentioned here that the state traders demanding withdrawal of VAT had stopped trading in these products for brief periods during last two years.

In view of the traders' move, the state government has decided to procure commodities through national e-marketing.
"To tackle the situation, we have decided to begin talks with National e-marketing Limited for procurement of pulses. We hope it will yield the desired result," Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma told reporters at Bhubaneswar yesterday.
The minister also informed that a Task Force had been formed to review the situation the market situation on a daily basis.