DIMAPUR, JUNE 17: Dimapur District Timber Traders’ Union (DDTTU), a conglomeration of Chumukedima Timber Traders’ Association (CTTA) and Dimapur Timber Traders’ Welfare Union (DTTWU) have lifted the two-week ban on road transportation of timber products.
Addressing media person at a press conference on Friday, members of DDTTU members said the ban was lifted following a two-day meetings, which deliberated on the rampant and excessive “taxation” imposed on timber transporters by an individual collecting taxes in the name of timber transporters.
“Transportation of finished timber products from Nagaland via road to other North Eastern states will resume on Monday as DDTTU is in the process of fixing the amount of taxes to be paid to so-called road transporters union and at check gates till Guwahati,” informed CTTA and DTTWU presidents, Khutovi Awomi and Toikhu Chophy, told media persons.
DDTTU members said the union was compelled to call the ban on transportation of finished timber products via road due to “excessive and illegal” taxation imposed by a certain individual using the name of Road Transport Union.
DDTTU in the two-day meetings resolved that it would no longer remain a silent spectator to the manipulations of an individual collecting “illegal taxes” on transportation of finished timber products to other NE states.
Stating that hundreds of Naga families were dependent on timber business for their daily livelihood, the union also resolved to file FIR if “unauthorized or illegal collection” was imposed on Naga timber traders exporting finished timber products via road.“We are in the process of negotiating for 40% reduction of taxes on trucks ferrying finished timber products to other NE states. Once this is achieved, then the price of raw timber can be increased, which would ultimately benefit the villagers and tree plantation owners. But because of excessive taxation by an individual using the name of so-called Road transport union, whatever profit margin the tree famers, mill owners or exporters of finished timber products is expended on that illegal taxation,” DDTTU members alleged.
DDTTU cautioned that if any group or individual do not heed to the appeal of moderate rate of “taxation or collection” imposed on transportation of timber via road, then the union might resort to any extreme course of action including filing FIR against “unauthorized collectors” and that the State government and agencies would be held solely responsible for failing to check unauthorized collection and taxation.
