Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 10
For reasons unexplained, the markets in Dimapur have been facing an acute shortage of fish over the past few weeks. The slump in supply has in turn resulted in fish traders arbitrarily increasing the price on the available stock (depending on the variety) in the market while forcing it to go off the menu in many a home. However, if news from people in the know of the trade is anything to go by, it most likely that normal trade in fish is expected to resume in the next three-four days.
That aside, the reason behind the present scarcity was underground ‘taxation’. Sources speaking on condition of anonymity disclosed that increase in ‘tax’, with the entry of an additional group, forced supply to come to halt. A major bulk of the popular ‘rohu’ and other varieties that consumers get here is imported from Andhra Pradesh. The sources stated that every month around 50 truckloads of fish reach Dimapur. Each truck carries upto 10 tonnes of fish valued at between 9 to 10 lakhs.
When it enters Dimapur, every truck has to dish out some few thousand rupees as ‘underground tax,’ which is imposed not on the suppliers here but on the company which ships the cargo to Dimapur, it was added.
Initially, there was only one group and later with the entry of a second, the toll increased. It was disclosed that at present the first group charges Rs. 8000 from every truck per entry (to Dimapur) while the second group charges Rs. 5000 per truck for every entry.
This was going on smoothly up to the point, when two more groups entered the scene. According to the sources, the demand from the third group started from the year preceding, while the demand from the fourth group started from this year. The third group charges not per truck but only asks for one-time payment as a year’s worth of ‘tax’. The group’s demand was said to have been Rs. two lakhs last year, which was scaled down after negotiation.
The fourth group, which effectively entered the scene from this year, had also demanded a similar amount further sending suppliers into a dizzy. This led to a slump in supply towards the end of April, and eventually coming to a complete halt about a week back.
Following negotiation, the fourth group finally agreed to a scaled down amount, enabling supply to resume, or in other words, fish-carrying trucks to enter Dimapur, the sources said. Presently, the carriers have to pay four groups. The sources said that while the sale of fish resumed on Thursday, the first batch of fresh supply is expected to reach by Monday.
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