Citizens may have to continue facing hardships over availability of essential commodities after ‘Akshay Tritiya’ festival, with a traders’ body announcing that the indefinite strike against Local Body Tax will go on even as a section of retailers called off the stir.

The Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association, led by Viren Shah, on Saturday announced withdrawal of indefinite strike going on for last three weeks against proposed imposition of LBT in Mumbai from October 1.

However, the Federation of Associations of Maharashtra (FAM) on Sunday said that retailers who opened their shops will rejoin the strike starting Wednesday once ‘Akshay Trutiya’ celebrations are over.

“FAM has relaxed its call for indefinite bandh for essential commodities (and) retailers for three days due to the festival of Akshaya Trutiya,” a statement issued by FAM said, adding that retailers will down their shutters from Wednesday.

FAM is a Mumbai-based summit organisation of 750 transport, small-scale and trade associations in Maharashtra.

The strike which is in its third week now has resulted in a loss of about Rs 1,00,000 crore, claimed Gurnani. With traders set to intensify their stir from Wednesday onwards, citizens are once again likely to face difficulties over availability of essential commodities.

Traders resorted to indefinite strike demanding rollback of the proposed levy, saying it is likely to result in harassment and corruption.

The LBT has already been introduced in some of the municipal corporations in the state while it is proposed to be introduced in Mumbai from October 1.

Meanwhile, perturbed by strident opposition to the new levy, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan asked Congress leaders to “clear misconceptions” pertaining to LBT at a meeting held at his official residence ‘Varsha’ on Sunday evening.

Adopting tough posturing over the issue, Chavan dubbed the opposition to LBT as “an immature and political move by certain parties” while clarifying that the proposal made by traders to include LBT in VAT by passing the required legislation can not be considered as VAT is meant for entire state.

With the strike inconveniencing common people to a great extent in the metropolis, political temperatures over the issue is soaring with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray asking traders to not hold common people to ransom and open their shops.

Meanwhile, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry which had welcomed the introduction of LBT in place of octroi has called for simplification of the compliance process.