EMN
DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 30
THE Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) conveyed its sincere support and appreciation to the Anti-extortion team of Dimapur police for their commendable action against illegal collection of cash/tax by several transporters/faction & the Karbi Anglong and Dimapur Transporters Association(KADTA) for their resolution against paying illegal collection.
“For how long the Nagas are to continually fight against illegal collection of cash on highways and market places and unabated taxation? Can the citizen find it comfortable to live with it? Does the citizen consider it to be alarming, threatening and a menace in the society? No one is above the law and every citizen has to abide by the law such as Article 265 of the Constitution of India provides – “No tax shall be levied except by authority of Law”. Hence, any involvement of collecting cash or tax without the approval of government is amounting to illegal collection of cash/tax,” stated a release issued by NVCO president Kezhokhoto Savi.
Savi, advocate said that today, illegal collection of cash and unabated taxation is one of the most threatening issues in our state. “It is alarming to see how much of money burden in the form of illegal tax is borne by our people. Illegal tax on every commodity transported to and within our state has greatly affected the public in general and the business community in particular. We cannot ignore this menace as a consumer who bear the ultimate burden because whatever tax the business community pays to various groups and organisations etc is indirectly extracted from us in the form of price hike in their goods,” NVCO sand and appealed to all citizens to strongly fight against the menace.
Stating that the government of Nagaland banned collection of cash in the check-gates or in any part of the highways, NVCO said, no collection of taxes shall be made by any organisation or individual including government departments such as Police, Excise, Forest and Taxes Department etc. “The authorised government departments may inspect the contents of goods vehicles or any other vehicles that may be necessary for enforcement of the laws of the land. If necessary, the vehicles or the goods being carried or the documents thereof can also be seized after issuing the proper seizure memo.”
The NVCO mentioned that Gauhati High Court, Kohima bench in its common judgment order dismissed 11(eleven) several writ petitions of which they were not allowed to collect cash/contribution at check-gates and on any National/State Highways and also not to establish office/sub-office/pay-counter/information centre on any highways.
The several 11 dismissed writ petitions were filed by several associations/unions/federation mostly Dimapur based including the Petroleum and Land Transport Workers Federation of India operating whole of North East India.
The main aim and object of the associations/unions/federation is to ensure the welfare of its member of which they are to operate at their Head Offices, instead they started operating from National Highway/State Highway, market places and other busy public places, and that too, not only from the members but from public in general and drivers and owners of commercial vehicles in particular causing enormous difficulties, not only to the users of National/State Highways/market places or other public places but posing enormous problems to the administration since illegal activities severely obstructed the free flow of vehicles on the roads and public places, NVCO said.
