SteelMint Bureau: Maharashtra long drawn strike over LBT issue (over 20 days) between government and traders might end today.
Separate discussions with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and chief secretary Jayant Banthia yielded a breakthrough as Thane, Navi Mumbai and parts of Nagpur, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad ended the deadlock over LBT.
“Wholesale traders in Mumbai will decide today if their month-long bandh should be called off. But we will not prevent retailers from opening their shops anymore,” said Zaverchand Gala of FAM (Federation of Associations of Maharashtra).
Meanwhile other traders' bodies and the government finalized a compromise formula, leading to the end of the statewide stir. “The municipal corporation is working on a solution and we hope today's decision will have a positive effect on traders in Mumbai,” said chief secretary J K Banthia.
On Monday, traders' representatives met government officials and sought modifications in the LBT conditions. They announced that the meeting had been 'fruitful' and the strike would be withdrawn at the earliest following a written endorsement by the chief minister. Among major demands, the government has agreed that the LBT assessment will be done by a special cell in the local corporation. Meanwhile, the BJP met the chief minister and demanded an alternative for LBT, especially in Mumbai.
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