DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 24 (MExN): The Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CNCCI), while welcoming the recent government directive prohibiting municipal toll collections, stated it is “important to place on record the history of repeated Government assurances and subsequent failures in enforcement.” The statement follows the February 23 order by the Department of Municipal Affairs, which directed all Municipal and Town Councils to immediately cease collecting tolls, urban utility taxes, vehicle entry fees, and other levies.
A press release from the business body recalled that the prohibition of illegal check gates and arbitrary collections was first secured through an all-Nagaland shutter-down agitation it led. It resulted in the state government forming a committee under Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton. Subsequently, the Municipal Affairs Department issued an order on November 16, 2021, which prohibited the collection of any taxes or fees on items falling under the GST regime.
According to the CNCCI, several Municipal and Town Councils failed to adhere to the 2021 directive and resumed various forms of collections. This non-compliance prompted a second state-wide shutter-down protest, resulting in the Home Department issuing a directive on May 19, 2022, banning all check gates, except inter-state police posts, and prohibiting collections by government departments, associations, and unions. It also provided for the prosecution of violators under Sections 188 and 384 of the Indian Penal Code. It is to be noted that the IPC has since been replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Indian Justice Code), 2023.
The menace of illegal tolls had also attracted a Public Interest Litigation in 2020 filed in the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench. The court closed the PIL in June 2022 after the state government presented the 2021 and 2022 notifications as proof of grievance redressal. The Court further directed the state to consider installing CCTVs at inter-state gates to “ensure that no unwanted activities take place hereafter.
Despite these measures, the CNCCI observed that certain departments and local councils resumed collections. It stated that repeated disregard for official directives raises questions regarding the rule of law in the state. The statement cautioned that the issuance of government orders without strict monitoring reduces such directives to "mere eyewash," eroding the confidence of the market and the public.
While acknowledging the latest order, the CNCCI demanded strict, visible, and time-bound enforcement of the November 2021 and May 2022 directives. It specifically called on the Home Department to implement the 2022 order in letter and spirit, alleging that certain departments have resumed collections at various gates.
The CNCCI statement asserted that it will not accept any relaxation or reintroduction of these collections. While stating that it is prepared to take democratic action, including street protests, the CNCCI reiterated that consistent enforcement is necessary to restore public trust and prevent further governance failures.
