The Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organization (NVCO) has expressed shock at the appeal made by some of the major Dimapur frontal organizations to “partially reconsider blanket ban on tax levied by Dimapur Municipal Council(DMC).”
“Instead of appealing for partial reconsideration of the blanket ban on tax levied by DMC, the Dimapur denizen must come out much stronger to support the said government blanket order,” NVCO said.
The NVCO said that it has been continually begging for public support and co-operation to the State Government’s order in removing all police check gates and said that the Inspection Team of the respective District Administration are working round the clock in order to strictly implement it without any compromise.
NVCO also said that the State Government was compelled to remove all police check-gates and pay-counters on highways except inter-state gates as this was the only solution to stop illegal taxation/cash collection at the check gates, keeping in mind that there is no provision to charge or collect any other tax/cash as Nagaland state has already implemented the Goods & Services Tax (GST).
“The various state agencies lying on inter-state check-gates are also to be checked and punished if any one is involved in violation of the said order,” NVCO said.
NVCO said that, prior to the present action, vehicles especially commercial vehicles were stopped on several places on highways just for cash collection.
“On several occasions while returning home in the evening vehicles especially Manipuri trucks were stopped on several places and create traffic congestion which led to fight with Nagaland Police at the check-gates seeing drivers/handyman rushing with cash to pay as vehicles are allowed to cross check-gate only after payment of cash,” NVCO claimed.
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“There are several cash collections in the heart of Dimapur town especially nearby train station without any pay-counter in the name of this and that association/unions, council, etc especially upon auto drivers, etc. The denizen of the state must not forget that Dimapur is the commercial hub and gateway to Nagaland when it comes to bringing both essential and non-essential commodities, building material, etc, from outside the state, market prices of other district headquarters are determined by Dimapur’s performances. Hence, there are so many genuine reasons ‘not’ to reconsider DMC tax,” NVCO explained.
While strongly appealing the State Government not to reconsider the said blanket order in any circumstances, NVCO said that the reconsideration of one district would paralyze all other districts and it would demoralize the District Inspection Team and also violate the state government’s earlier standing order and amount to contempt of Guwahati High Court, Kohima Bench’s order.
“We are all aware that several associations/various groups/unions/organizations besides police at check-gates and Municipal/Town Councils are all anxiously looking for reconsideration on tax or illegal collection of cash like ‘vulture’ as these illegal tax/cash collections has been practiced for the last several decades,” NVCO further said.
NVCO added that it was very encouraging to see the daily reports where several cases of defaulters being arrested for indulging in illegal cash collection and said that the state machinery has come up well equipped to tackle the “land of illegal collection of taxes/cash.” NVCO remarked that this practice must continue not only in highways and check-gates but also in public sector, especially public funds, where several practices of corruption must be stopped.
NVCO has urged the civil society organizations, tribal hohos, church, students/youth/women organizations/associations, business community, etc. to remain strong so as not to allow state government to reconsider the blanket ban under any case in order to bring an end to the menace of illegal taxation/cash collection in the state of Nagaland.