Various organizations like the National People’s Party (NPP) Nagaland unit, Kohima Chamber of Commerce and Industry and others have criticized the government for imposing the COVID-19 cess on petroleum products.
NPP: State National People’s Party has expressed surprise over the imposition of COVID-19 cess and termed it as “an inhuman and illogical cess” which would only double the burden of the common man and result in price rise across the state.
In a joint statement NPP president Dr. Andrew Ahoto Sema and general secretary Limanuksang Longkumer claimed that when prices of commodities were already at an all-time high due to illegal hoarding by shopkeepers, the addition of cess would only provide an opportunity to further hike up prices, adding this was happening right under the noses of authorities who were not even monitoring the situation.
Further NPP said the cess was totally intolerable and imposed in an “illegitimate manner” and was nothing but an attempt to fill the state coffers at the expense of the common people
NPP likened the action of the state government to the infamous remark of French Queen Marie Antoinette in 1789, who when told that people were rebelling due because they had no bread, said “let them eat cake.”
It also said the government’s burden had been lessened by humanitarian efforts through donations by various NGOs and civic bodies besides many people-centric schemes for the benefit of the public during the present distress.
Attacking the government for levying the additional cess, NPP said “this is just the tip of the iceberg” as the corruption was the real reason underneath the decision.
Further, NPP said when Nagaland was not severely affected by COVID-19 other states such as Maharashtra or Gujarat where thousands lost their lives. It said Nagaland has only one COVID-19 case who was successfully treated in Assam
NPP therefore demanded to know from the state government as to how much more additional funds it required, when the Centre had already poured huge amount of money and when the health & family department had already professed that it was adequately equipped with all infrastructure required to meet the eventualities of the pandemic?.
Mentioning that not even two months of the lockdown had elapsed and the State’s finances were already in shambles, the party said the government seemed to be on its knees with a begging bowl.
NPP questioned the State government why it had levied such a huge cess on fuel all of a sudden, which was in itself was an infamous national record never been achieved by any government, especially at a time when fuel prices had decreased considerably in the international market?.
NPP said the matter had even been covered by numerous national TV Channels and media houses and was very embarrassing considering the fact that the State had been projected in a bad light during the pandemic, and at a time when every government and organisation was trying its level best to help the poor and needy.
Stating that such an arbitrary taxation was nothing short of a daylight robbery on the common people, the party said its questions were pertinent and demanded a satisfactory reply from the State government.
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