Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 25
Nagaland Government spent Rs 47, 88, 476 on the ‘High Powered Committee (HPC) on Illegal and Multiple Taxation’, which was constituted on August 5, 2014 after complaints from public and civil societies against various forms of illegal and multiple taxation.
The HPC was headed by a retired Judge, Supreme Court, as Chairman and two other members.
The Morung Express has obtained a copy of the RTI response available with the Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum.
According to the RTI response issued by the Political Branch of the Home Department, Government of Nagaland, the HPC was initially given 90 days from the date of constitution of the Committee to submit its report. However, owing to the volume and nature of the cases, the time frame was extended till May 31, 2015 taking the total time provided to the HPC to almost 10 months.
The Government of Nagaland spent Rs 12, 00, 000 for the Chairman and Rs 6, 00, 000 each for the two members as their honorarium/salaries taking the total amount to Rs 24, 00, 000.
Another Rs 99, 000 was spent for the Chairman and Rs 49, 000 each for the two members for their ‘Re-imbursement of POL.’
Further, an amount of Rs 67, 339 was spent for ‘repair and replacement of vehicles’ including a (Tata) Safari and a (Mahindra) Bolero.
The grand total of all expenditures comes to Rs 47, 88, 476.
As per the Government notification constituting the HPC, the Chairman was to receive a monthly honorarium of Rs 1 lakh plus vehicle while the other two members were to receive Rs 50, 000 each monthly as honorarium and travelling allowances etc.
Whereas the HPC took 10 months, which means the monthly honorarium for the Chairman for 10 months should be Rs 10, 00, 000, it was shown as Rs 12, 00, 000 in the RTI response. The honorarium for the other two members, when calculated for 10 months with Rs 50, 000 per month, the amount comes to Rs 5, 00, 000 each but it was shown as Rs 6, 00, 000 each in the RTI reply.
The HPC report was finally submitted on June 10, 2015 to the Chief Minister. While it took 10 months for HPC to submit its time consuming report that involved travelling to different places, meeting varied sections of people, it is interesting to note that 11 months have lapsed since the final report was submitted yet the Government says that the HPC report is under “active examination” by a Committee under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary.
It may be recalled that ACAUT has demanded the Nagaland State Government to implement the HPC report and recommendations stating that the Naga people deserve implementation of the findings in totality.
Denial of info is denial of fundamental rights: NPRAAF
The Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) informed in a press release from its Information & Publicity Cell that it had filed an RTI application to the Chief Information Commissioner, Nagaland Information Commission (NIC) to issue necessary direction to the Home Department to furnish information to NPRAAF under RTI Act 2005 regarding the High Powered Committee on Illegal and Multiple Taxation which was constituted in August 2014 and submitted its report in June 2015.
Since the HPC had submitted its report directly to the Chief Minister, the NPRAAF informed that it had also filed an RTI application to the Chief Minister/PIO requesting a copy of the HPC’s full report. However, the application was re-directed by the CMO to the Home Department. The Home Department, through a letter dated May 12, 2016, reportedly “denied” the HPC report to NPRAAF stating that “the information cannot be furnished since the report is under active examination by a Committee headed by the Chief Secretary.”
The NPRAAF viewed this “denial” of information as “denial of fundamental rights” under the Constitution of India. It noted that the HPC report was sought in recognition of Section 8 (1) of the RTI Act 2005 which states that “the information which cannot be denied to the Parliament or a State Legislature shall not be denied to any person.” The Forum has now written to the NIC to issue necessary direction to the Home Department to furnish the required information and also to take “necessary action” against the PIO for “denying” information under RTI Act 2005.
According to the NPRAAF, the NIC has “verbally informed” that it will conduct a hearing with the Home Department in the presence of NPRAAF members to give reasons why information sought under RTI Act was not furnished and necessary actions to be taken, if necessary. The date of hearing is to be fixed and intimated by the NIC, informed NPRAAF.
