Condiment stores and bakeries stop selling milk for 3 days, Nandini booths extend support

BENGALURU: Bakeries and condiment store owners have announced a three-day strike from July 23 to 25 by halting the sale of milk and dairy products, in protest against the Commercial Tax Department’s notices demanding crores in taxes from small traders who conduct digital transactions. They also plan to shut down their shops and stage a protest at Freedom Park on July 25.

Some Nandini booths have extended support to the traders’ decision to stop milk sales for three days starting Wednesday after one of them received a notice to pay Rs 1.03 crore in taxes. In addition, a tea shop owner said they have declared that they will sell tea and coffee without milk during the strike.

The Commercial Tax Department continues to issue tax notices to small traders who have decided to shut down their shops completely on July 25 as a mark of protest. The city’s condiment and bakery shop owners have already met at the Labour Council office to discuss the intensity of the strike and plan protests.

The traders blame the state and central governments for their plight, alleging that the notices are an attempt to suppress small traders. Surendra, a shop owner, said, “Small traders are very upset with the tax notice. We gave a call for a two-day strike on July 23 and 24. The vendors are completely shattered after they received notice. Nowadays, who deals with cash? Everyone transacts online. The government has to reconsider the tax notice. A small businessman has his own problems: paying rent, school fees, loans, and so on”.

Another trader said the association is expecting huge participation of traders in protest against the tax. Meanwhile, a Nandini milk booth owner in Ullal has received a notice to pay Rs 1.03 crore in taxes. The shop owner is naturally shocked.

Ravi, the Nandini booth owner said, “Earlier, we were collecting cash, and we started using PhonePe after online payments became more popular. There is no need of living in a city and paying such a whopping amount of tax. I think it is better to leave here and start a new life in a village. It is far better than paying taxes. They have to check our profit margins also, not just the turnover. It is difficult to lead a normal life”.