Tamil Nadu: The Tamil Nadu Jewelers, Silver and Diamond Traders Association has alleged that the jewelry business is being adversely affected due to the Election Commission’s continued enforcement of an electoral Code of Conduct that is 20 years old.
A joint meeting of the State Executive Committee and the General Committee of the Tamil Nadu Jewelers, Silver and Diamond Traders Association was held on Sunday in Rasipuram, Namakkal district. The meeting was presided over by the Association’s State President, P. Sabarinath. General Secretary K. Ravindra Kumar and Treasurer K.S. Kandasamy were also present. The meeting focused on discussing the prevailing issues within the industry and the impact of the electoral process. Subsequently, Association President P. Sabarinath addressed reporters, stating:
“Since jewelry prices have risen, the public is now unable to carry cash—even to purchase just one pound (approximately 450 grams) of jewelry—due to the electoral Code of Conduct that has been in force for the past 20 years. This has negatively impacted the jewelry business.”
“Furthermore, some election officials lack comprehensive knowledge regarding the verification of jewelry-related documents. Consequently, vehicles transporting jewelry are being subjected to searches and seizures. As a result, jewelry could not be delivered to shops for sale in a timely manner. Therefore, documents should be verified, and vehicles transporting jewelry should be released immediately,” he added. The meeting was attended by S. Sangalal (Association In-charge for the Rasipuram Jewelers Welfare Trust), Joint Secretary J. Jayaprakash, committee members K. Rajan, M. Selvarajan, M. Selvakumar, J.R. Bhaskaran, Nandalal, and others.
