PTI
CHANDIGARH, April 7
Supporting the ongoing strike by jewellers, traders in the city observed ‘bandh’ today and closed their shops.
Various market associations including the apex body of the traders- Chandigarh Beopar Mandal - had given a call to traders to shut shops in the Union Territory.
The Chandigarh Beopar Mandal had asked the traders to observe a bandh to show solidarity with the jewellers in the city.
However, chemists and shops selling essential commodities like milk and eggs had been exempted. “We want to make public aware that burden of excise will be passed on to customers, which will affect the customers and also hit our trade,” an office bearer of the Chandigarh Jewellers Association said.
A large number of jewellery establishments in the country remained shut for the 37th day today to protest against one per cent excise duty on non-silver jewellery.
Jewellers in several parts of the country are on indefinite strike since March 2. They are demanding rollback of the duty on non-silver jewellery.