Dimapur, Sept 22 (MExN): Businessmen at Dimapur New Market have reacted strongly to a Dimapur Municipal Council member collecting money from the business establishments on the pretext of maintaining sanitation in the area. It was charged that even while the collection is being made to sustain a “Special Task Force” supposedly to maintain sanitation, neither money receipts or any work towards that effect as assured is yet to be seen.
According to the New Market Business Owners Association, the DMC’s Sanitation branch under Councilor Yangertoshi is collecting money from the New Market business community with the pretext of sustaining “Special Task Force” which the association maintains they have never heard of either through official order of notification.
It was charged that as per the Sanitation In-charge’s order on September 2, money was collected ‘for sanitation works’ from grocery shops and clothes’ store at New Market. The work was purportedly to be executed the next day itself i.e., September 3. Again on the 7th and 8th, money was collected from Murgi Patti business establishments and SBI line for work to be executed on September 10. Furthermore, more collection of money took place on the 13th and the 14th for work to be executed on September 17. However in spite of the assurances not a single work has been undertaken to clean the said areas except on September 3. To compound the situation, no money receipts were issued against the amount collected leave alone any work executed on September 10 and the 17th as assured by the “Special Task Force”.
“This amounts to cheating the public in broad daylight. The NMBOA would like to point out that after inception of the then Dimapur Town Committee for the last 52 years, the then DTC (now DMC) had been cleaning and maintaining the sanitation in the New Market without charging a single paisa from the business community and whether it is a ‘Special Task Force’ or not, it is a civic body and they are duty-bound to clean the city” stated a release from the association through its Officer In-Charge Atoi Sumi. Therefore, it strongly maintained, the collection of money from the business community by the “Special Task Force” of the DMC’s Sanitation Branch without official order is against public will and that too even without the knowledge of the concerned ward councilor, which is “shocking”.
“This is a glaring example of blatant misuse of power and authority and the NMBOA condemns it in the strongest terms. The NMBOA further directs the business establishments within its jurisdiction not to pay any money to the so-called ‘Special task Force’ of the DMC Sanitation Branch as it is out only to fool the business community in the guise of public service” the association stated.
