DC writes to DMC to look into traders’ grievances
Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 11
According to reports, import of construction cement into Dimapur has decreased in volume over the past 2-3 days. This reportedly resulted from cement traders in Dimapur resolving “to put a ban on import of all kinds of cement into Dimapur until the authority and others concerned intervene and pay heed to the difficulties and grievances being faced by cement traders.”
This was stated in a letter written by the Hardware Merchants Association Dimapur to the Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur on August 4.
The association could not be contacted for details but going by the content of the letter, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) putting a cap to “safe axle weights of goods vehicles” has reportedly reduced the volume of consignment per truck thereby affecting returns while taxes, both illegal and statutory, have remained unchanged.
For instance, it claimed that the weight cap has reduced a ten wheeler lorry’s capacity of 700 bags per trip to 400 bags per trip. “With the enforcement of new policy coupled with number of other factors which are prevalent in Dimapur especially in terms of various forms of donations and contributions, it has become impossible to operate cement trade in the commercial hub of the state,” it said.
Given the stated circumstance, it asked the DC “to apprise the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) to consider the existing revised policy of the ministry and revise the toll-tax levied on the transporters.”
It further asked for strict enforcement of the MoRTH weight cap, which has been implemented in rest of the country.
Meanwhile, the DC, when contacted for comment on the matter, informed that he has received the letter and have written to the DMC Administrator to look into it.
The DMC Administrator in turn said that it will be writing back to the DC though he did not dwell on the details. He maintained that the DMC is only levying toll tax as approved by the government with the existing tariff being Rs. 2.5 per bag.
