Kohima, July 18 (MExN): While appreciating the services rendered by the Jotsoma Youth Organisation (JYO) volunteers and the complaint letter of JYO against the Kohima Traffic Police for illegal collection of cash at the landslide area, the Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ organization (NVCO) condemned the “shameful conduct of Kohima Traffic Police in the midst of untold misery faced by the travellers and the truckers due to landslide.”
The Press & Media Cell of NVCO stated that “Kohima Traffic Police collecting cash at landslide area (Kezhanu, NH-29), Jotsoma ranging Rs.200 up to Rs.2000 depending on the load capacity of the trucks is very much illegal.”
The Organization in its press release while reacting to the Addl. SP and PRO Kohima in their “expression of regret over the incident with an assurance to be more vigilant to avoid such un-wanted incident in future,” the President of NVCO Kezhokhoto Savi, advocate questioned the two officers “what about the illegal collection of cash at the check-gate maintained by Nagaland Police?”
“Within a stretch of check-gate Khuzama and check-gate Phesama there are more than six Pay-Counters including Petroleum and Land Transport Workers Federation of India, Public Organization, etc,” the NVCO stated.
It also questioned what the state government agency is going to do with these illegal collections of cash as per the government standing orders. “The practice of illegal collection of cash and imposing of multiple taxation upon the traders in the state is one major cause to price-rise. Every now and then temporary rise of prices on essential commodities including building materials is common in Nagaland,” the release added.
Further, the Organisation pointed out that in the commercial hub of the state Dimapur too many pay-counters besides the two main Nagaland check-gates situated at the entry point to state/Dimapur were huge harassment to public especially transporters and business community. The state capital Kohima becomes the best place for fund-raise in several forms such as donation voucher, selling lottery ticket, calendar, exorbitant lunch, dinner ticket, exorbitant rate of packed cooked meat and uncooked meat especially pork, washing vehicle at pump, gas station, etc which spoiled the market price and also amounts to public harassment.
“State Government agencies especially the District Administration is failing on their part to control the illegal collection of cash on highways and at the check-gates by Nagaland Police, Associations, Public Organization, Unions, Federation, etc in the state of Nagaland,” added the Press & Media Cell of NVCO.
