The decision was taken at a meeting of representatives from Mumbai, Nashik, Kalyan, Thane, Igatpuri, Dombivli, Manmad, Jalgaon and Bhusawal, held in Nashik. The union's vice-president Prabhakar Desai announced that a state-level `Jakaat Bachao Parishad' (Save Octroi conference) would be held in Nashik on April 11 to chart further course of action.

The union leaders said that the rulers had taken the decision to abolish octroi collected by `A', `B' and `C' class municipal councils, only to please the trading community. The convenor of the save octroi conference Uday Thorat said that octroi was the oxygen of municipal bodies and that it abolition would lead to unprecedented financial crisis. He feared that the Government might abolish octroi in municipal corporations, too, affectingcivic bodies in large cities. The union has decided to organise a joint agitation by municipal unions all over the State to oppose the abolition of octroi.

The agitators are also demanding the implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations to civic employees, filling vacant posts, regularising temporary workers and payment of salaries by the State Government through banks.

It may be recalled that the erstwhile Congress-ruled government headed by Shankarrao Chavan had announced that octroi would be totally abolished from May 1988. However, the decision was shelved following a statewide stir by municipal unions.