Dimapur, September 12 (MExN): Various organisations on Sunday came out in support of the Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industries’ (DCCI) call for a day-long ‘business shutdown’ in Dimapur on September 16 to protest the state government’s inaction against illegal and multiple taxations.
As a mark of support, the Nagaland Medicine Dealers Association (NDMA) informed in a press release, that it would also impose a total shut down of all the pharmacies and medical business establishments in the commercial hub on September 16.
Stating that the shutdown would draw the government’s attention towards the issues faced by traders, the release stated that “The NMDA will be compelled to take its own course of action by shutting down all its outlets indefinitely, if the Government does not take appropriate action.”
The NMDA also requested the Power Department to take necessary steps in improving the electricity supply of the town as most of the life saving drugs and vaccines are to be kept refrigerated. However, due to power failure, it has become strenuous to store and maintain necessary obligations of these life saving medicines, it pointed out.
In a separate release, the Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) also voiced its support for the shutdown stating that the rampant multiple and illegal taxations by various groups and government agencies were the root cause for price-rise in Nagaland markets.
Stating that consumers cannot remain silent spectators over the illegal and unauthorised taxation which contribute price-rise in the state markets, NVCO President Kezhokhoto Savi said that state government agencies contribute poorly towards maintaining reasonable prices in the markets and hardly applies the Essential Commodities Act.
Savi blamed the state government for failing to control the rampant multiple and illegal taxations especially upon the transporters and business community, and asked the state chief secretary and Director General of Police to respond to the menace. It also referred to a petition filed by noted human rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) alleging that people of Nagaland have to pay taxes to parallel governments run by five groups— NSCN(IM), GPRN/NSCN, NSCN(K) and the two factions of Naga National Council(NNC – apart from paying the government taxes and said that “Illegal multiple taxes and threats by insurgents mixed with the inaction of the government amount to the denial of the right to life.”
Savi noted that after the NHRC intervention, the Nagaland Chief Secretary and DGP Nagaland informed that ‘all possible efforts have been made to curb the illegal activities of insurgents in the state.’ Subsequently several trade bodies including the Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CNCCI), DCCI and Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI) came out strongly with a demand that all Naga political groups (NPGs) should immediately refrain from such multiple taxation and asked the state government to immediately check all such multiple taxation in the state, the NVCO stated.
Considering the hardships faced by several trade bodies, the NVCO further questioned the Nagaland Chief Secretary and DGP’s response to NHRC as to how far the efforts to curb illegal activities are being put into practice.
Further, the NVCO said that it had submitted several representations to the state government to execute the Gauhati High Court’s June 3, 2014 judgement to stop all illegal cash collections at check gates and highways while adding that “Social justice is the need of the hour.”
