Garment Manufacturers’ ‘fast-unto-death’ protest concluded today in Ahmedabad in presence of Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhwadia.

Modhwadia offered juice to Gujarat Garment Manufacturers Association(GGMA) President Mr. Purohit. Modhwadia assured that Garment Manufacturers’ excise related issue will be represented well in centre t by Gujarat Congress leaders.

GGMA’s meeting with Gujarat Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil has been organized on Saturday at around noon in this regard.

Garment Manufacturers are on agitation demanding roll-back of 10 per cent excise duty imposed on branded apparels in the Union Budget 2011-12.

The Gujarat Garments Manufacturing Association (GGMA)’ had started fast unto death until the excise duty is rolled back this week.

GGMA delegation recently had met the Excise Commissioner, Ahmedabad and handed over a memorandum of demands to him.

The trade body claims to have membership of 8,000 manufacturers in Ahmedabad alone, and over 7,000 spread across Gujarat in districts like Surat, Valsad, Vapi and Ankleshwar.

The industry, ranked second in terms of employment generation, has been severely hit by the imposition of excise duty in the Budget 2011-12. The garment manufacturing industry provides direct and indirect employment to over 12 lakh people in Gujarat according to GGMA figures. GGMA claims that the imposition of excise duty is detrimental when exemption limit of SSI has not been raised from Rs 1.5 crore, although the prices of cloth, labour and raw materials have trebled in the past due to inflation.