Betanoti/Baripada: Even as the GST on products like sabai grass ropes and sal leaf plates adversely impacted livelihood of poor tribals in Mayurbhanj and other districts, over a 1,000 workers blocked NH-18 at Dantiamuhan Chhak under Betanoti police limits Thursday. Vehicular movement on the route went out of gear for four hours, a report said.
Hundreds of trucks and buses bound to Balasore, Chitrada and Dantiamuhan were stranded. Police trying to move the protesters out of the NH-18 had to face the wrath of the people. Finally, the agitating people relented at 1 pm.
It was learnt that after imposition of 5 per cent GST on these products, traders are not keen to purchase products like leaf bowls and sabai grass ropes in the market. People have no way but to sell their items at markets at reduced prices, it was alleged.
Workers said that a leaf collector would get Rs 500 per week from sale of sal leaves. He would get Rs 30 to Rs 35 from selling a bundle of 1,000 sal leaves. But now, they are bound to sell a leaf bundle at Rs 15 or 29 in the market. Traders alleged that they had to incur heavy losses after GST implementation.
Some people narrated their plight, saying they had gone to market at Baramile, Mundabani and Dantiamuhan to sell sal leaves and sabai grass, but there were no takers in the market. There was a stalemate on sale and purchase of these products at Dantiamuhan market Thursday too.
Over 1,000 people drawn from Morada, Baripada, Badasahi and Betanoti blocks took part in the agitation.
A platoon of police force accompanied by SDPO Dhiren Nanda and IIC Minati Biswal was deployed at the place. The police personnel held talks with the agitating people for hours, but to no avail. The protesters insisted on meeting collector Surendra Kumar Meena on the spot. As the collector was attending a public grievance camp at Betanoti, he could not turn up.
Finally, the IIC appealed to the agitators to move out of the road. As police started forcing the protestors out of the road, tension prevailed. Agitated people had a tussle with the police. Reports from Baripada said, the JMM, taking note of the plight of tribals, strongly protested the implementation of GST. The party warned of intensifying its agitation and block road at Kalama and Bombay Chhak October 12. It demanded complete withdrawal of GST on sal leaves and sabai grass. PNN
