Hotels, bakeries down shutters over VAT

PUDUCHERRY: Hotels, bakeries, sweetmeat shops downed their shutters on Tuesday protesting N Rangasamy government’s decision to go ahead with the 10 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed on cooked food items.The twenty-four hour stir was to press the administration to withdraw the hike, which has added to the burden of the common man.Opposition leader V Vai­thilingam, in a statement, said the government attention to the issue was drawn by him in the Assembly, but it turned a blind eye. He demanded that the hike in VAT rate may be reduced or withdrawn altogether.Senior CPM leader T Murugan also demanded a roll back, stating that the decision is affecting the common man. Member of night tiffin shops, owing allegiance to the CITU, took part in the agitation, he said.R V Janakiraman, DMK state convenor and former CM, said the tourist influx would be affected by the price rise of food items due to the VAT hike and would result in the decrease of State’s revenue.Puducherry Hotels, Sweet Stalls, Bakeries and Restaurant owners Association president Balu claimed that nearly all the establishments participated in the strike.