Dimapur, June 25 (MExN): As the people wake to the hard reality of consequences from extortion and illegal taxation, contractors today advised the government and its machineries to practice what they are preaching against.
Politicians, bureaucrats and government servants themselves are committing extortion by way of imposing double “commissions” and double taxation, this has to be stopped once and for all, the Nagaland Government Registered Class-1 Contractors’ Union stated today. The double taxation levied on the contractors both for the works and against purchased materials has the contractors enduring heavy losses, the union lamented in a statement received here from its leaders.
Illegal and rampant collection of taxes have impacted in inflating costs of essential commodities and construction materials and in the process severely affected the livelihood of every citizen of the state; it is ‘prime time’ to stop the evil culture, the union reminded. The Nagaland Government Registered Class-I Contractors’ Union reiterated that the contractors of Nagaland are amongst the worst affected sections of the society who have been bearing heavy losses due to the practice of double taxation levied for both the works and against the materials purchased.
The contractors union advised the Government of Nagaland to stop the menace of deduction and collection of “abnormal commissions” by politicians, bureaucrats, technocrats and government servants as well as organizations. The NGRC-1CU stated to the government: “The government officials of the state have become highly manipulative due to their own greed and pressures exerted upon them by their unscrupulous bosses.
In the midst of this situation, asking the contractors to impart quality work is a big farce. If they cannot control themselves from hoarding and extorting public exchequer and public wealth for their own personal gain, then they also have no moral authority to preach and teach citizens about quality work.”
The union failed to understand how the government machineries would stop illegal collection of taxes at various gates as their (government officials and politicians) own behavior amounts to extortion from its own citizens. The union has appealed the public to render their co-operation in fighting the menace of extortion and illegal taxation and urged them not to pay except to authorized taxes to be paid only through the Treasury.
In a related matter, the union informed that its scheduled meeting with the business community on June 27 at Hotel Japfu in Kohima is now deferred until further notification. However, the union expresses appreciation to the state government for its action in abolishing all forms of tax collections at check gates along all highways in the state. Among others, the Petroleum & Land Transport Workers Federation of India is asked by the union to remove all its “pay-counters.” The contractors’ union has appealed to the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police to initiate effective measures to remove “the menace” with the public. The NGRC-1 CU has called upon the people to jointly fight extortion.
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