Dimapur- based apex tribal bodies, civil societies and non-Naga communities under the aegis of Naga Council Dimapur Vigilance Committee (NCDVC) have sent a strong message across by resolving to strictly deal with, as per penal provision of the law, all forms of “illegal collection of any form of taxation or donation by anywelfare/union/organizations”
This was among several resolutions adopted at the joint meeting held at Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) office conference hall, Dimapur on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by over 100 representatives from Dimapur-based tribal apex bodies, unions and associations, non-Naga communities, including the presidents of Chakhroma Public Organisation (CPO), Western Sumi Hoho (WSH) and NCD. According to NCDVC, the meeting went on for more than three hours and deliberated at length on several important issues concerning Dimapur.
The participants shared their grievances on illegal taxation by numerous unscrupulous groups/organisations; price rise of all commodities; influx of illegal immigrants and curbing this with Registry of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland; syndicate system prevailing in the market; pathetic road conditions; drugs menace; traffic/parking congestions in the town and other various burning problems faced by the public of Dimapur.
The meeting resolved to serve a memorandum to the Centre for early resolution of the Naga political issue, besides unanimously reiterating to “One Government, One Tax”. It was also resolved that all Dimapur-based tribal bodies will depute volunteers to the Vigilance Committee (VC) as and when required, to tackle the menace of drug abuse and illegal taxation so as to assist the law enforcing agency.
Later, speaking exclusively to Nagaland Post, NCD Vigilance Committee secretary Bendang alleged that more than 20 factions were involved in multiple taxations in Dimapur and leaving harassed public with no option but to resort to taking recourse to various steps to stop these menace. He asserted that until illegal taxation was stopped, entire Nagaland would continue to suffer. “When tax is levied illegally and randomly, it affects the entire state,” he pointed out. He said many representations had been submitted in the past, to the governor and state government against the multiple taxation, but nothing positive materialised till date.
Bendang informed that NCDVC fully recognised and supported the position of the CPO and WSH against illegal taxation under their respective jurisdictions. He said the NCDVC strongly advocated collaboration with the two apex bodies to effectively coordinate and work together. On the prevailing monopoly syndicate system, Bendang said as long as the syndicate system prevailed in Dimapur, prices of products would continue to escalate beyond rationale.