We paid almost double for raw materials because of GST (Goods and Services Tax) but were unable to pass on the burden to customers because idols are exempt from GST-Samir Pal #BJP
He further rued: “Parties (customers) think nothing of spending lakhs of rupees on decorating pandals, but they grumble if we hike the price of idols even by a few thousand rupees. No wonder our children don’t want to take up our profession.”
Mr. Pal said that until last year, for a set of Durga idols costing around, say, ₹45,000, he made a profit of ₹10,000-₹12,000. “But this year, I am left with almost nothing — I am going to be hand-to-mouth,” he said.
“The price of even something as basic as khor (hay) went up this year. Last year, a set of eight bundles cost ₹125, this year it cost ₹225. The price of bamboo went up from ₹110 apiece to ₹150; the price of rope went up from ₹70 to ₹100 per kg; the price of nails too.
“What was most excruciating,” he added, “was the steep hike in labour charges. Until last year, a labourer (junior artisans who help craft idols) would charge ₹1,100-1,200 daily. This year, they charged ₹1,600-2,000 a day. They are also entitled to 3 daily meals .#GST
Artisans like them, who depend on yearly bank loans to conduct their business, are of the opinion that unless the government came up with a scheme that kept them engaged round the year, Kumartuli could well be a dying settlement.
