Maharashtra Chief Minsiter Prithiviraj Chavan has said that the minimum income slab prescribed for application of local body tax (LBT) in Maharashtra may be raised to keep small traders out of its ambit. As of today, all traders with an annual income of Rs 1 lakh have to register for LBT. A decision on the matter will be taken soon, he added.
Speaking in Pune on the sidelines of a function, Chavan said that with the raising of the minimum limit, 70-80% of merchants would be exempted. He however ruled out withdrawing the new tax regimen altogether.
Traders in the city have out forth several demands, and have said they will resume their agitation and go on an indefinite strike from April 15 if these were not considered. These include raising the minimum annual income to Rs 10 lakh. Shops in the city and adjoining twin industrial towns of Pimpri-Chinchwad had remained shut from April 1-7 in protest of LBT that replaced the existing octroi from the beginning of the new fiscal.