GST, Chinese imports major election issues in city of locks

HIGH GST rates, pandemic effect and Chinese locks' the triple whammy undercutting the livelihoods of thousands of workers and traders in Uttar Pradesh's famed 'Tala Nagri' has emerged as a major concern this election and voters are looking for a candidate who will pull the lock industry out of the slump.

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The 4,000 crore industry of Aligarh, where lock making is likened to an art dating back to the Mughals, is not so robust anymore with shifting global market dynamics taking their toll.

With Lok Sabha elections just two days away, the clamour for decisive action that will save the livelihood of the estimated one lakh people dependent on the lock industry is growing. And at the centre of the problems, say industry insiders, are high GST rates, which in turn have led to a surge in Chinese lock imports.

"The steep GST rates have made it increasingly challenging for us to compete with Chinese locks flooding the market at significantly lower prices," said Omvir Singh, owner of a cottage lock factory.