Surat textile trader hit hard as UP, Bihar return goods on want of e way bill

Surat textile traders, hopeful of doing a good amount of business during the ongoing marriage season has been hit hard as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh border check post has started returning huge quantity of fabric parcels valued at crores of rupees due to the want of the e-way bill.

Traders stated that despite the GST Council relaxing the e-way bill norms till 2018, local GST officials in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are not allowing the textile goods to enter the states without e-way bill.

In October last, the GST Council gave a missive stating that the e-way bills will be introduced in a phased manner by March 2018 and till then the existing laws of the individual states would apply.

The Federation of Surat Textile Traders’ Association (Fostta) had written to the Prime Minister and around 250 MPs in the country that the marriage season earnings of most traders in Surat has been hit hard due to the harassment by GST officials on the border check-posts of UP and Bihar.

Fostta president Manoj Agarwal said that the GST implementation had cast a dark shadow on the textile trade. Traders were hopeful that the marriage season will spin their fortunes. But states like UP And Bihar are not allowing their goods without e-way bill.

According to Champalal Bothra, secretary of Fostta, around 30% of the saris, dress materials and fabrics are supplied to UP and Bihar state and during the marriage season the demand for saris and dress materials pick up considerably .

The central government need to act fast or else traders will lose business as UP and Bihar are big markets for traders in Surat.