Chennai: Following the government's assurance that jewellers won't face any harassment at the hands of excise officials, most jewellers reopened their showrooms on Sunday. They had downed their shutters to protest against the government's decision asking customers to produce their PAN card details for purchases of Rs 2 lakh and above.
“We have called off the strike after government's intervention. We opened our showrooms yesterday and as of now most are operating,” said Jayanthilal Challani, President, Madras Jewelers and Diamond Merchants Association.
The associations had also met Finance minister Arun Jaitley regarding the one percent excise duty on non-silver jewellery and the PAN card demand on purchase. L.K.S Syed Ahmad, chief advisor, TN Jewellers Federation, said that while the minister claimed that he cannot change his decision he would take steps to ensure that jewelers would not be harassed by excise officials.
A three-member committee headed by Ashok Lahiri, former Chief Economic Adviser at the ministry of finance and company affairs, has been constituted to look into the issues and find a solution. Mr Challani revealed that jewellers had lost close to Rs 350 crores a day and over Rs 6,300 crore totally in 18 days of the strike. The decision was taken unanimously by major jewellery associations including GJF, India Bullion to withdraw the strike by jewellers.
