Nagaland
Covid-19 cess: Court grants 3 weeks to Nagaland government
Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 11 (EMN): In regard to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed on Covid-19 cess, the state government has asked the Kohima bench of Gauhati High Court for three weeks’ time to file its response.
In a ruling, the High Court stated that the advocate for government “prays for and is granted further three weeks’ time to file counter-affidavit”. The matter was therefore listed to be heard three weeks later, the order for which came after the first hearing was conducted on June 3.
The PIL was filed on Covid-19 cess by a resident of Kohima, Neiteo Koza against the state of Nagaland and another, represented by chief secretary, government of Nagaland; and additional chief secretary and finance commissioner, government of Nagaland.
The petitioner challenged the imposition of Covid-19 cess on petroleum, diesel and other motor spirits items, which came into effect from midnight of April 28. The state government, in addition to the existing rate of tax and cess, levied INR 5 for diesel per litre and INR 6 per litre for petrol and other motor spirit as a Covid-19 cess.
Earlier, Chief Secretary Temjen Toy had said that Covid-19 cess is “one thing that the state government has extremely been transparent about. We are calling it Covid cess and we are going to spend it on Covid”.
Extra burden, says DNSU
Meanwhile, the Dimapur Naga Students’ Union raised concern over what it stated were ‘extra burdens meted out to the citizens’ by the Covid-19 cess.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the union urged the state government “for immediate reconsideration of the Covid-19 cess on fuel”.
“While appreciating the Dimapur police for maintaining transparency on the fine collected from the defaulters of odd-even vehicle rule, the union urge the government of Nagaland to be transparent with the fund raised from Covid-19 cess on fuel and to declare the overall amount of money generated till date in the public domain,” read the statement.