The rally, organised by the All India Farmers’ Federation, saw farmers march through the town protesting the 50 to 70 per cent GST hike on tobacco products.
Tobacco
Vijayawada: Tobacco farmers in Vinukonda town staged a protest on Monday against the Central government’s decision to sharply increase the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on tobacco products, warning that the move would severely impact their livelihoods.
The rally, organised by the All India Farmers’ Federation, saw farmers march through the town protesting the 50 to 70 per cent GST hike on tobacco products.
Addressing the gathering, farmer leader Srinivasa Reddy termed the tax increase “a curse for tobacco farmers” and demanded its immediate rollback. He cautioned that the hike would lead to heavy losses during crop sales, pushing many farmers into financial distress.
He also criticised the Centre for failing to curb illegally imported tobacco products, including cigarettes, and said domestic farmers were being unfairly targeted. Higher GST rates, he added, would raise prices, reduce consumption and ultimately hurt the farming community.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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