The Bharat Bandh call given by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Friday against rising fuel prices, the new e-way bill and Goods and Services Tax (GST) has evoked negligible response in Punjab and other states.
The All India Transport Welfare Association (AITWA) - the apex body of the organised road transportation companies though had announced support to the Bandh, however the transporters were apparently divided and in several cities of Punjab, trucks were seen operating even after the 'chakka jam' began at 6 a.m.
Commercial establishments in almost all major cities, including Jalandhar, Amritsar, and Ludhiana were seen open today.
"There was no clarity in the Bandh call. Besides, our business is already in doldrums and we cannot afford more closures," said Mahesh, a businessman in Jalandhar. "This Bandh call is only on paper and not on the ground level," he said.
The CAIT as well as AITWA are seeking scrapping of the new e-way bill or eliminating certain rules from it. The e-way bill system has been introduced nationwide for inter-state movement of goods with effect from April 1, 2018.
They have also appealed to the government to withdraw heavy taxes on fuel prices and make it uniform across India.
Calling the GST 'one of the most complex taxation systems', the protesters want a review of the GST system and simplification of the tax slabs.