Dimapur, June 28 (EMN): Accusing the regional parties responsible for ‘all round systemising of illegal taxes’ during their successive tenure, president of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC), K Therie, saw a ‘ray of hope’ from the Nagaland Governor in his letter to the chief minister stating that he had correctly assessed the law and order situation.
“Ever since regional party adopted the policy to merely facilitate and support the ongoing dialogue on August 19, 2005, it has gone beyond the prescription of the Constitution. Rather, they have abandoned the constitution and laws of the land,” Therie stated.
Making a scathing attack on the regional parties, Therie alleged that running parallel governments and allowing taxation by multi-governments by way of extortion and forced collections was accepted.
While many were kidnapped and others assassinated, some of them in the open, Therie stated that cases were registered against ‘unknown miscreants.’ He went on to allege that faction courts have confiscated even land, while fines were collected and land forcefully occupied and paid for the sake of payment.
Therie claimed that persons caught red-handed for extortion and murder with unauthorised weapons were released without trial.
“When public come to government for shelter, they direct the public especially entrepreneurs to compromise with extortionists. Administrators were used as mediators to compromise, while police were even used for faction leaders’ bodyguards,” Therie alleged.
Also alleging that all development departments share development funds, Therie stated that funds released under Art 275(1) to be utilised for construction of 223 buildings across Nagaland have ‘vanished,’ while the said buildings do not exist. He added that loans taken from banks were met with threats of dire-consequences, adding no contractor or supplier is free from paying commissions.
Interestingly, Therie stated that factions get to know the sanctions and release order even before the beneficiaries (contractors and suppliers).
Therie further alleged that police and factions’ tax collectors sit together at the gates to extort from all transport trucks.
“As a result, Nagaland does not have any industry, while continuous extortion has strangled the growth of economy in the state,” Therie added.
