Traders' bandh in Ahmedabad on Wed

An association of traders has called a shutdown in Ahmedabad on Wednesday to protest the municipal corporation's plan to start collecting octroi from newly merged areas of the city.

"We have given a call for a bandh in Ahmedabad as the state government has given the go-ahead to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to collect octroi from new areas merged into the city from tomorrow," Jayandra Tanna of Gujarat Vyapari Hitrakshak Samiti said today.

The traders' body has decided to lauch a state-wide campaign from November 9 against octroi that is collected in seven municipal corporations of the state.

The ruling BJP had promised in its 2002 election menifesto to abolish octori but it had not fulfilled this till Tuesday, traders said.