Several civil society and business organisations have reminded the Dimapur Municipal Council and the Municipal Affairs Department (MAD) that any attempt to lease out toll tax collection will invite non-cooperation from the civil society and business community, who are stakeholders.
The statement opposing lease of DMC toll tax was issued by G. Ghokheto Chophy Vice president Naga Council Dimapur, Tsenthungo Lotha president DUCCF, Nungshirenla Aier president Naga Women Hoho Dimapur, Dr. Khekugha Murru general secretary Business Association of Nagas, Joseph Lemtur president DDCF, Sanjay Sethi secretary DCCI, A.Rahman working president Muslim Council Dimapur, Kamala Kanta Paul president Dimapur, Bengali Samaj, Ato Yepthomi president NMDA and Y.Zhimomi GB Union Dimapur.
The signatories expressed appreciation of the development and progress made by the DMC after toll tax collection was handed to DMC. The ten bodies reminded that they had opposed leasing out toll tax collection in the past based on the effectiveness of DMC in collecting toll. They therefore maintained that toll tax should not be leased to any private party/middle man at any cost.
According to the signatories, the reason for their stand was based on the following:
1. That with toll collected by DMC has resulted in visible development and facelift of roads, drainage, designated dustbins, culver and overall improvement in sanitation of Dimapur.
2. That it was unjustified and ridiculous for public to have to pay commission for toll tax collection to middlemen when DMC itself has enough manpower under its payroll
3. The signatories reminded of the earlier showdown between civil society and government due to mishandling of ULB election and therefore reminded government that civil society was in no mood to confront government on the toll tax issue.
The ten organisations said any attempt to lease out toll tax collection to a private party will be seen by them as “nothing but vested interest of certain individual above development and welfare of the public and therefore anti-people and development.”