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Maharashtra gur traders to stop trading from tomorrow

Our Bureau

MUMBAI, Nov. 6

GUR traders at the Vashi (Navi Mumbai) APMC market have decided to stop trading in jaggery from November 8 to protest the State Governments decision to bring black jaggery under the State excise net from November 16.

The Maharashtra Government has notified the date of implementation of the amendment of the Bombay Prohibition Act last month, which inter alia incorporates jaggery into the excise net.

We are not going to take license under this new law; we have also firmly decided to stop our wholesale purchases from November 8 onwards, Mr Deepak Shah, President, Bombay Gur Merchants Association (BGMA), said at a press conference held here on Tuesday.

However, we will make an efforts to trade only in that quality of jaggery which the Government certifies to be within the specifications as the amendment.

The Government has amended the definition of molasses in the Bombay Prohibition Act, to include black jaggery. The amendment defines black jaggery as that which is not edible, as per the parameters laid down to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.

There is no variety of jaggery which is known as black jaggery. It is just a colloquial term. This amendment defines non-edible jaggery as black jaggery, Mr Shah said.

The amendment and the clarification given by the Government contradict themselves. The Governments intention was to curb illegal distillation by regulating black jaggery. But the amendment regulates all types of jaggery, as any jaggery would have to be a nalyzed in a laboratory to be certified as black (non-edible) jaggery, he said.

Meanwhile, apart from Bombay market, gur traders from all the major gur trading centres in the State such as Karad, Sangli, Poona, Kolhapur and Latur have also decided to oppose this move, by organising dharna, hunger strike and rasta roko.

We have received a fax massage from Karad Gur traders organisation today morning, saying that they will stop road traffic at National Highway No. 4 on November 12, if the State Government fails to find any amicable solution before November 11, Mr Shah sa id.