A B Wani
Srinagar, July 1(GNS):The mutton supply crisis in Kashmir deepened on Wednesday as it entered Day 9, with dealers terming the 4% tax imposed by Punjab authorities as a “gunda tax” and urging families to postpone weddings.
Khazir Mohammad Regoo, president of the All Kashmir Wholesale and Retail Mutton Dealers Association, told GNS that dealers held a meeting with concerned authorities in Punjab on Sunday.
“It’s a ‘gunda tax’. We already pay tax in Delhi when purchasing mutton. This extra 4 percent burden is unjustified and has choked supply lines to Kashmir,” Regoo said. “He further said that a meeting with the Punjab CM is likely in the coming days.”
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has already taken up the issue with his Punjab counterpart, seeking immediate relief for mutton dealers and removal of the additional levy, officials confirmed. The CM’s intervention comes amid mounting public anger over soaring prices and supply disruptions ahead of the wedding season.
The additional tax has disrupted supply chains, leading to acute shortages and a sharp spike in mutton prices across the Valley. With hundreds of weddings scheduled in the coming weeks, dealers have appealed to families to postpone functions until the issue is resolved.
The association has reiterated its demand for urgent administrative intervention to restore normal supply and prevent further escalation of prices.(GNS)
