Dinesh Kamath's news item 'Sharad Rao to lead an agitation from March 31' that was published in Newsband

Sharad Rao to lead an agitation from March 31

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: The union leader Sharad Rao has called for a massive indefinite agitation to protest the removal of octroi from five major corporations from midnight of March 31. The workers of Navi Mumbai will also stop working from midnight of March 31.

Members of two big unions “Maharashtra Rajya Mahanagarpalika Nagarpalika Union” and “Kamgar Karmachari Sanghtana Federation” led by Mr Rao will stop working and not provide any civic amenities. These unions are contemplating taking up the issue of removal of octroi with the high court.

Just recently, Mr Rao had criticized chief minister Prithviraj Chavan for contemplating introduction of the LBT and the abolition of octroi. Rao said that this move was to cough up money for the next year’s election.

The removal of octroi will only reduce the income of all the municipal corporations and stall all the ongoing civic infrastructure development projects, particularly water, road, health, sewerage and education, he said.

 During the indefinite agitation, members of unions have planned massive morchas, demonstrations and meetings to campaign against the policies of the present government.

The government is criticized for hitting the common man hard by imposing heavy duties on property tax, water charges and stamp duty. The government is said to be favouring the rich by choosing to remove the octroi, which is only paid by rich businessmen, manufacturers or merchants.

The state government plans to impose LBT instead of octroi in Navi Mumbai and some other municipal corporations from April 1, 2013.