Nearly 800 persons, connected with jewellery business, today observed one-day hunger strike seeking withdrawal of one per cent duty on gold ornaments as proposed in the budget.

The other demands include withdrawal of the provision of making PAN card mandatory for the customers and also to do away with the one per cent TDS on the purchase of Rs. 2 lakh worth gold ornaments.

With more than 600 jewellers in the city, there are 2,500 ornaments makers, 10,000 gold smiths and more than 50,000 workers who are dependent on this business.

Members of Coimbatore Jewellers’ Association, Jewellery Manufacturers’ Association, and Bullion Merchants’ Association, participated in the strike.