NEW DELHI: The city's wholesale and retail grain markets were shut down on Saturday due to a  protest by business owners against the GST Council's decision to impose a 5% GST on pre-packaged and labelled food items.

Due to the market bandh called by traders, wholesale grain markets in Narela, Bawana, and other areas of the city seemed desolate. The city's retail grain markets were all shut down.

It  was informed by Suresh Agrawal, president of the All India Dal Mills Association, that the GST Council voted to impose a 5 percent GST on all pre-packaged and labelled food goods starting on July 18 at its 47th meeting, which was held in the final week of June. The country's food grain-related micro, small, and medium-sized industries will be harmed by the GST Council's decision.

The majority of the proposals made by a group of state ministers on withdrawing exemptions with a view to rationalising the charge were adopted by the GST Council, the highest decision-making body on the levy of the Goods and Services Tax, last month.

In the meeting, it was decided that all goods, including pre-packaged and labelled meat (except frozen), fish, curd, paneer, honey, dried leguminous vegetables, dried makhana, wheat and other cereals, wheat or meslin flour, jaggery, and puffed rice (muri), would no longer be exempt from GST and would instead be subject to a 5% tax.

A bandh was also observed by the traders in the APMC market in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. The GST Council's decision to impose GST on cereals, grains, and other pre-packaged and labelled food items prompted traders in Jammu to hold a protest march.

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