Surat is the main textile city of Gujarat and recently the textile traders are facing problem due to the road construction undertaken by the municipal corporation leading to traffic congestion and encroachments. The Federation of Surat Textile Traders' Association (FOSTTA), the apex body of textile traders having more than 15,000 members, has written to chief minister Narendra Modi threatening to launch an agitation against the indifferent attitude of Surat Municipal Corporation in solving the issues faced by the trader community.

FOSTTA office-bearers said that they had sent as many as 22 applications with regard to traffic, road construction and encroachments to the municipal corporation in the last one year, but the civic body is yet to act on a single complaint.

Meanwhile, FOSTTA has decided to control the traffic problems in the market area by deploying its own 'traffic brigade' personnel. It has posted four persons at Moti Begumwadi and plan to increase their numbers to 200 in the coming few months.

FOSTTA president Sanjay Jagnani said that the textile traders have a daily turnover of Rs 110 crore. They pay VAT, excise duty, municipal and state government taxes. They have a right to demand infrastructural and other facilities. Thus, they have decided to launch an agitation against the municipal corporation.

If their demands are not met then the textile traders have cooperatively decided not to pay property tax to the civic body.

There are over 150 textile markets in the city housing more than 65,000 shops.