Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Sep. 20: The Public Action Committee (PAC) under Naga Council Dimapur has said that price escalation in the market is due to heavy imposition/extortion on transporters, and maintained that transporters of six -wheeler trucks have to pay INR 40,000 from Guwahati to Dimapur while it was only INR 19,000 from Guwahati to Khatkhati in Assam.
They have to pay another INR 21,000 for entering Dimapur from Khatkhati. This was revealed by the PAC members during a press conference in Dimapur on Friday evening.
The PAC said that a representation was submitted on September 20 to the deputy commissioner (DC) of Dimapur wherein they mentioned that the officials, during an interaction with the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC), found out that the DMC has not revised the rates of the commodities since 2012. In the representation, it was mentioned that the CEO of DMC had informed that they control and regulate items enlisted to them and remaining commodities such as cement and rod, to name a few, were under the control of the DC.
The PAC also stated to have visited the department of Food and Civil Supplies as per DMC’s information that the department regulate some prices. “However the department claimed that it doesn’t regulate prices,” the representation to the DC stated.
The PAC brought to the notice of the DC that the main cause of price escalation and unregulated price of commodities was due to the lease system introduced by the DMC, which should be immediately abolished from October. The PAC added that unless ‘syndicates’ and the lease system are abolished, there would not be a fall in prices of essential commodities in the market.
The committee further mentioned that it has found many unauthorised organisations that are engaged in illegal collection of money. Nine ‘unknown welfare unions’ were found collecting a minimum of INR 100 each since the manning of the gates by PAC and as a result a burden of around INR 1300-1500 has been reduced; some of the unauthorised organisations have also locked their offices because of this operation, the PAC claimed.
“All these unions, organisations should not be allowed to collect illegal money and license of such unions should be cancelled,” the PAC’s representation to the DC stated.
As the administrative head of the district, the PAC has requested the DC to immediately revive the District Price Regulation Committee, where two PAC members may be included; and published the list of rates for all commodities within a week. “Failing to rein in and regulate the prices, the PAC shall have to resort to a harsher means of agitation, such as indefinite bandh of Dimapur,” it warned.
The PAC further expressed its shock over the lack of concern shown by the Dimapur legislators and the state government over the ongoing checking of the illegal collection of money. They also stated that the DC and the commissioner of police visited them on September 20 and appealed to suspend the checking of the gates.
The committee hoped that the state government will take action without delay; and has called upon the public to report any incident of extortion or illegal collection of money to the PAC members with evidence, documents or video recording to substantiate their claim.
