Dimapur, January 11 (MExN): Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) submitted a representation to the Deputy Commissioner, Kohima in complaint against the acute shortages of LPG cooking gas supply, to streamline domestic connection and commercial connection, and to check black marketing. In addition, to look into the exorbitant charges of transportation especially commercial vehicles such as trucks, tata mobile, etc and to take action against the taxi cars such as van, maruti, alto, etc carrying five passengers.
Accordingly, a meeting was held which the Deputy Commissioner, Kohima, Superintendent of Police, Kohima, and CEO Kohima Municipal Council attended at the office chamber of DC Kohima on January 10, 2012.
NVCO President, Kezhokhoto Savi highlighted that the public face grievances due to acute shortage of supply in LPG and detected to be one of the main consumer’s exploitation that leads to black-marketing and charging of exorbitant prices. “It is difficult to get from the counter but easier to get in black-marketing at the rate of Rs.1200 or more per cylinder,” states NVCO. In order to reduce the problem, NVCO has requested the District Administration to conduct surprise checking and take necessary actions for fair distribution.
Highlighting the complaints of passengers traveling in taxis between Kohima and Dimapur, Savi stated that taxis illegally carry five passengers i.e. excluding driver causing inconveniences to the passengers. Earlier the taxi fare has been raised for the fact that the taxi Union also agreed that the taxis would be allowed to carry only four passengers i.e. three at the back and one with driver in a taxi car like Van, Alto, Maruti, etc. Savi has also highlighted the exorbitant charges on transportation especially truckers while carrying building materials.
NVCO cited an incident which occurred in May 2010 where the transportation charges of truck carrying building materials from Dimapur to Kohima was Rs.5,500 to Rs.6,000 excluding illegal taxes at the check-gates. However, after road diversion via Tsesema due to landslide at Bye-pass the truck owners charge Rs.7,000 to Rs.7,500 and after the trucks ply in a normal route i.e. via Bye-pass the truck owners’ union has fixed the rate at Rs.7,000 without consulting or involving the competent authority. And till last December 2012 the truck owners simply charged Rs.8,000 to Rs.8,500 per trip.
The NVCO while appealing to check the illegal practice, it stated, “This is ridiculous and illegal on the part of Union to go ahead with such rate increasing thousand of rupee in a year without any legality as union cannot fix this rate and only the competent authority can do the fixation. Despite of the NVCO voiced against the exorbitant rate the authority remain silent, which encourage them to do more of this and keep on increasing.”
Further, it reaffirmed that the NVCO Anti-Corruption Team shall remain firm and strong in their fight against corruption and no turning back as long as the fight is for public interest. “The NVCO as a team of anti-corruption activists need not require obtaining any permission from any authority or unions to fight against corruption. The NVCO fight is a fight of public right and the Organisation reminds the Government of Nagaland to take necessary actions upon the various NVCO representations (ENSF and NVCO) already submitted especially the various projects under Police Engineering Projects.,” Savi stated.
