50% Industrial units suspend manufacturing in Jammu: GST Row

As the confusion prevails over implementation of Goods and Services Tax in the state, 50 percent of industrial units in various industrial estates in Jammu division have suspended manufacturing from last four days.
Traders and industrialists here say they have stopped here say they have stopped import and export outside stop due to confusion and are now facing shortage of raw material.

“From last four days over 50 percent industrial units in entire Jammu division have stopped manufacturing as import or export not happened,” treasurer Bari Brahmana Industries Association (BBIA), Viraj Malhotra told Kashmir Post. “Trade in Jammu is on verge of complete collapse, traders are confused.”
Over 500 units are associated with BBIA, which are involved in production of pharmaceutical formulations, pesticides, packing material, cattle feed, edible oils, cement tiles, cement blocks, electrical conductor, heavy gensets, heavy and medium electrical gadgets, flour mills, steel, industrial goods, PVC cables and bare copper wire etc.
Malhotra said that only those factories which have domestic market and availability of raw material are working.

“The factories where usually work in three shifts but now they are running a single shift factory, and have considerably reduced there workforce by sending casual labours out,” he said.
Rajesh Gupta president Ware House Traders Association, the largest wholesale hub of Jammu, feared shortage of essentials, if new stocks does not reach.
“Sugar is already out of stock, some branded edible oils started running low in stocks, stocks of pulses and cereals are for two to three days only, if the situation continue like this, state will witness chaos and emergency like situation,” he said.
Rakesh Sharma president Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) said state is not in the position to import or export. “The buffer stock is also running low, which will create mayhem and chaos if GST will not be implemented in the state,” he added.
Busiest Lakhanpur toll post, the gateway of the state, wore a deserted look with the number of goods-laden trucks entering the state coming down drastically.
Mohammad Javed Khan, Excise Commissioner said the movement of traffic at Lakhanpur has went down by almost 50 percent.
“Though it’s not a fruit season in Kashmir, but still traffic of goods carrier is down by almost 50 percent at Lakhanpur,” he said.