DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 27 (MExN): The ACAUT Nagaland and Dimapur District Citizens Forum (DDCF) today extended support to the Dimapur civil society organizations’ stand against the latest order of the Municipal Affairs Department notifying the start of lease system in DMC tolls from October 2016.
A press note from ACAUT stated that the Municipal Affairs Department’s notification “defies good governance, or else how can one justify the logic behind this outrageous decision to hand over DMC toll Tax collection to private individuals? This notification is nothing but simply anti people as it will cause undue harassment to the general public.”
Alleging that the order is “pure corruption where vested interest higher ups in the department may have been promised hefty amounts by unscrupulous fly-by-night businessmen,” the ACAUT claimed that “even in the past, the portfolio-incharge of Municipal Affairs Department (MAD) was actively involved in giving out lease in toll tax collection to his cronies.”
“Not only was the tendering process thrown into the dustbin but these leasees also managed to avoid paying Income Tax. Thus, on the one hand, the portfolio-in charge made huge sums of illicit money and on the other hand the government lost out on revenue,” it further alleged.
The ACAUT said that if the lease system is allowed to come back, not only will development of link roads, culverts, etc., in Dimapur Municipal area stop, but the 300 plus employees of DMC will stop getting salaries.
In a separate press note, DDCF stated it has taken serious note of the MAD's order. “The citizens of Dimapur were greatly benefited by the development work taken up by the DMC in Dimapur city for the past several months with the tolls and taxes collected by the DMC itself,” stated DDCF President, Joseph Lemtur. With the leasing out of tolls and taxes to private individuals, the Forum stated, the developmental activities in Dimapur will once again come to a halt.
The DDCF President further requested the department concerned to re-consider the decision and let the DMC collect the tolls and taxes directly so as to avoid “middle men”. It stated that the DMC “with its enormous manpower is capable of collection of tolls & taxes and also utilize it in the developmental activities of the city.”
