Poultry Farmers to Intensify the Strike

3 September 2013
Thrissur

The Poultry Farmers and Traders Coordination Committee, which has been on an indefinite strike in the State for the past five days, has decided to intensify the agitation.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the committee, an umbrella organisation in the poultry sector, held here on Monday.

However, E.P. Jayarajan MLA, patron of the Coordination Committee, will conduct discussions with Finance Minister K.M. Mani in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday evening.

The agitation was launched on August 28 in protest against the government’s decision to raise the tax on chicken. The government has recently increased the basic price of the chicken from Rs.70 to Rs.95 a kg. Kerala was the only State which imposed 14.5 per cent luxury tax on chicken.

The State has about 60,000 poultry farmers. Cancellation of the circular of the Sales Tax Commissioner increasing the basic price of chicken, increasing the level of tax exemption for poultry farmers, withdrawing tax for chicks, simplification of farm licensing procedures and stringent action against officials who harass farmers are among the committee’s demands.

Source– http://www.thehindu.com

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