DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 26 (MExN): Several civil society organizations today issued a statement against the notification from the Municipal Affairs Department to lease out tax, tolls and fees in Dimapur from the month of October 2016.
A press note from the Naga Council Dimapur, Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation, Dimapur Chamber of Commerce & Industry, GB’s Union Dimapur, Dimapur Naga Students’ Union, Business Association of Nagas, Muslim Council Dimapur and the Bengali Samaj Dimapur said that ever since the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) was allowed to collect toll taxes, “Dimapur town has been seeing huge developmental activities like construction of roads, dustbins, bridges, box culverts and drains.”
It claimed that the “public is in deep appreciation towards such developments and continues to provide unstinted support and cooperation to the DMC since there has not been any financial irregularities and the amount collected through toll taxes are being utilized in a transparent manner.” “At a time, when more developmental activities are being undertaken on a war footing for which the public is the witness, the government’s move to lease out toll taxes is being viewed as anti-people and anti-development policy,” the note stated.
It affirmed that the organizations would “not allow such defective policy to be implemented in Dimapur at any cost.” “The civil societies and public shall fight tooth and nail to oppose the implementation of the stated government notification as it is totally against the welfare of the people,” it said.
It further cautioned that “any leasee will not be allowed to collect toll taxes and that they would be inviting unnecessary and preventable problems. Any leasee would be collecting toll taxes at their own risk since the public would rise to the issue.”
