A day after Kohima District Truck Owners & Drivers’ Union (KDTODU) lodged complaint with deputy commissioner (DC) Kohima against one Kozhol Kirha for declaring as “totally false” KDTODU’s listing of the illegal collection of cash at the check-gates and on highways, the Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) has termed as “very unfortunate” the conduct of an elderly man Kozhol Kirha, who it alleged was “misleading the minds of public and encouraging the illegal collection of cash in our land.” NVCO through its press & media cell also said it was “very unbecoming” of Kirha as village elder and GB to seriously hurt the sentiments of NVCO, which has been fighting against the illegal collection of cash at the check-gates and on highways. In support of the KDTODU, the NVCO said its team had also visited police check-gates/cash counter collection within Southern Angami jurisdiction on September 21, 2019 and found that the unions and government agencies were “actively collecting” cash at the following check-gates and on highways: Khuzama police check-gate (Nagaland police etc.); Kehorü, Jakhama (Dziikou road) –Surface Transport, Eco & Environment Society; above Loyola Higher Secondary School, Jakhama – Petroleum & Land Transport Workers Federation of India (PLTWFI); Phesama landslide area (Kohima District Land Transport Trade Drivers’ Union, Phesama affiliated to all Manipur Transport Drivers’ & Motor Workers’ Union) and Phesama police check-gate (Nagaland Police, KMC toll tax/fee, SAPO (Southern Angami Public Organisation) local tax –on item/package basis.
Meanwhile, NVCO has extended support to the demands placed by KDTODU before the DC Kohima for constituting a competent investigation team to enquire and investigate the entire listed illegal collection of cash at the check-gates and on highways and find out the truth.
NVCO also sought thorough interrogation of government agencies including Nagaland police, excise, forest, geology & mining, KMC etc and unions/federation/society/public organization to find out the detailed involvement in illegal collection.
Further, it has demanded summoning and questioning officials of All Manipur Transport Drivers’ & Motor Workers’ Union for illegal collection of cash on the highways in Nagaland.
NVCO has strongly asked the state government to completely stop all those collections of cash at the check-gates and on highways starting with its own agencies as per the government standing order dated June 22, 2009 and Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench judgement and order dated June 3, 2014.