Surat Textile Traders Divided on Strike Against GST, Some Shops to Open Monday

Surat: After holding firm for two weeks and observing a complete bandh against GST, cracks have started to appear among traders at the Surat textile market. A section of the traders are growing impatient as their shops and businesses have remained shut for close to two weeks now.

Jayalal, convener of the Textiles Traders Sangharsh Samiti, Surat, told News18 that it is quite clear that GST is here to stay. “What can happen is a certain simplification of the GST. A large number of traders are of the opinion that the bandh should now be called off,” he said.

He added that while the future of the indefinite bandh is not still clear, a section of traders are expected to reopen their businesses on Monday. “Traders have been divided into two groups - one that still supports an indefinite strike and the other that advocates reopening of business. Also, the indefinite strike by traders has become politicised over the past few days," he said.

A series of meetings have been planned over the weekend between representatives of weavers, processors and finished goods traders to end the impasse. There are between 65,000 and 70,000 readymade garment textile traders in Surat city alone. The daily turnover of Surat’s readymade textile garments business is about Rs 130 crore.

In addition to the garment traders, there are around 350 process houses, which are engaged in dyeing and printing of yarn. There are another 50,000 weaving or powerloom units. All put together, the daily turnover of Surat's integrated textile market is estimated to be about 350 to 400 crore rupees.

A leading textile processor of Surat, who did not want to be named, said that it is in the interest of Surat's economy that the traders call off their agitation. “Close to 10,000 crore is stuck because of the agitation. Salaries have not been paid to workers and raw materials are not being taken because of no credit facilities. It is in the interest of Surat that the strike is called off,” he told News18.

According to estimates, close to 15 lakh daily wage labourers employed in the textile sector here have also been rendered jobless. Most of them come from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, said sources, and may return if they don’t return to work soon.