pune traders in pimprichinchwad will keep their shops closed on thursday to oppose the implementation of the local body tax lbt starting april 1 the call for bandh has been given by the federation of associations of pimpri chinchwad fapc shiv sena mp gajanan babar who is the president of fapc said that as many as 20 traders associations have supported the bandh the government has taken a decision to replace octroi with lbt the traders are opposed to lbt in view of drought in the state and the global recession babar said babar said that two lakh traders will participate in the bandh small businessmen like owners of handcarts pan shops laundries and others will have to pay lbt such a tax will only bring back inspector raj now small traders are also required to maintain records which is difficult traders will organize an indefinite protest if the government tries to impose the lbt forcefully said babar govind pansare secretary and coordinator of fapc said the associations of cloth merchants jewelers builders plastic manufacturers scrap dealers restaurants and hotels fruit sellers marble and others have supported the bandh traders fear unnecessary harassment from tax inspectors a year back the fapc had demanded abolition of octroi now it is opposed to the local body tax as well nitin bankar president of the pimpri chinchwad small industries association said the pcmc has only 17 employees to register names of over two lakh traders in the city they will be unable to complete this work till april 1 many small industries have shifted out of pimpri chinchwad city due to octroi collection more small industries will shift out after lbt is applicable madhukar babar president of the pimpri chinchwad plastic manufacturers association said earlier only 15 of the traders were eligible for paying octroi but now 85 of them will have to pay lbt this will increase their hardships as they will have to maintain records and employ more peopleseminar on local body tax for traders today the octroi department of the pimpri chinchwad municipal corporation pcmc has organized a seminar on local body tax at the acharya atre auditorium in sant tukaramnagar at 2 pm on thursday traders will be given information about how to register with the civic body who are eligible for paying the tax registration records keeping and other aspects related to lbt municipal commissioner shrikar pardeshi and octroi department chief ashok munde will guide the traders shiv sena mp gajanan babar who is the president of fapc said the traders in pimpri chinchwad city will attend the seminar