Daal mills seek mandi tax relief on pulses

Citing rising costs and shrinking margins, the All India Daal Mill Association has urged the state govt to exempt MSME-registered dal mills from mandi tax on masoor, urad, moong, and chana brought exclusively for processing, saying the levy is hurting the viability of small units in Madhya Pradesh. In a representation to the govt, the association said mandi tax on raw pulses meant for processing has added to input costs, strained working capital, and weakened the competitiveness of small-scale daal mills.

Making a direct appeal, association president Suresh Agrawal said, “Because mandi tax is being levied on pulses brought from outside Madhya Pradesh for making dal, dal industries in the state are declining day by day. If daal mills are to survive and run smoothly in Madhya Pradesh, the mandi tax must be abolished.”

The association pointed out that neighbouring and competing states offer a more favourable tax regime. Chhattisgarh has provided complete exemption from mandi tax on pulses, wheat, jowar, maize, bajra, and other foodgrains.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.