Leaders of Saurashtrian Patel diamond community said all the diamond
manufacturers, be it small, medium and big companies, are paying
professional tax on a regular basis to the civic body. The market is
passing through a tough phase and that the traders should not force the
diamond markets to remain close, they opined.

Industry leaders
said transactions worth crores of rupees have been affected due to the
ongoing protest against professional tax. Diamond manufacturers are not
getting payments from the traders due to the agitation.

Chandu
Sheta, leader of small diamond manufacturers in Varachha, told TOI,
“There should not be such a noise by the diamond traders over
professional tax. We cannot afford to keep the industry shut, looking at
the tough market conditions.”

Janak Hirpara, a diamond
manufacturer in Mahidharpura, said, “It is the merchants, who are
opposing the professional tax payment. The income generated from
professional tax is spent on infrastructure and other basic facilities
in the city.”

. We are contributing to the city’s development
by paying the taxes. I am paying around Rs 1 lakh in professional tax
for employing around 80 workers in my factory.”

Suresh Gabani, a
diamond manufacturer in Varachha, said, “The diamond traders have less
than 10 employees who do assortment of rough and polished diamonds. The
payment of professional tax by them must be less, compared to diamond
manufacturers.”

Diamond traders said the civic body had
promised not to collect professional tax after last year’s agitation.
But, the professional tax department swooped down on the diamond offices
in Mahidharpura in the past few days and sealed more than 150 offices.

Rasik Mehta, a diamond trader, said, “We are dealing in diamonds and
not manufacturing them. Hence, we are not liable to pay professional
tax. The tax is applicable to the manufacturers who are employing
workers to process diamonds.”

An SMC official said, “Almost 50
per cent of the people connected with the diamond industry have been
paying professional tax. It is only the traders who are not paying the
tax. This was the reason why we have resorted to sealing the offices of
diamond traders in Mahidharpura.”