HT Correspondent
Dimapur, Dec 8: Talking tough against illegal taxation, extortion and other activities in Dimapur, a consultative meeting, held under the initiative of Naga Council Dimapur (NCD), decided to form a core committee to take concrete actions against these activities.
The committee will comprise various civil society organisations, including tribal bodies, of Dimapur, the NCD said in a release.
The NCD-initiated consultative meeting with Dimapur-based civil society organisations, tribal hohos, unions and non-Naga communities on December 7 was a follow-up of their meeting on November 30, the release said.
At the meeting, NCD president Etsungmomo Kikon said the agenda is to implement the public resolution of ‘One Government One Tax’ which was adopted at a public meeting in Dimapur on October 31, 2013 and reaffirmed in the November 30 meeting. He said the resolution should be implemented through community participation “as public pressure is mounting day by day and may burst out at any time if no remedial measures are taken immediately”.
Kikon also said complaints about extortion and multiple-taxation is ever increasing post-pandemic. He stressed that the citizens should take ownership of Dimapur city and safeguards it too.
The release said the house, after deliberations, resolved to reaffirm ‘One Government One Tax’ as the public has had enough of “illegal taxation, extortion, syndicate by individuals, groups, government agencies” and would no longer be mute spectators.
It was resolved that concrete action would be undertaken with appropriate authorities, with the formation and empowerment of a core committee for the task. The stakeholders of the committee will be members of the NCD vigilance committee, presidents and chairpersons of Dimapur-based tribal hohos and unions, and representatives of other organizations, including non-Naga communities.
