ACAUT asks govt to address ‘taxation issue’ in 15 days

EMN DIMAPUR, AUGUST 31 MEMBERS of the Action Against Unabated Taxation have submitted a memorandum listing the problems facing the common man and how the measures the Committee have so far taken to address them. A press relief from ACAUT states that the members met with the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on August 30, at his official residence along with his advisers. The press release states that the ACAUT members have impressed upon the Chief Minister that the government must take bold decisions and draw a line as far as the issue of unabated multiple taxations levied by Naga Public Groups (NPGs) is concerned, The release adds that after three months of agitation and talks with the NPG’s, the committee members are under no illusion that the road ahead is going to be a long and hard one but it shall press forward. In a significant yet ambiguous stand the press release states that “ACAUT in public interest has given 15 days time for the state government to address the issue positively” It must be mentioned here that ACAUT and its fact finding team divulged many unsavoury details of the multiple illegal taxations levied on consumer and essential items explaining the inflated costs finally borne by the overburdened public. The steady ground that ACAUT was gaining amongst the public was abruptly cut short by the intervention of the NSCN IM which questioned the authority of the body and also alleged it to be operating at the behest of “Indian powers” to discredit the Naga National workers and belittle the Naga national issue and ongoing political talks. The press release on Saturday is the first in more than a fortnight since ACAUT members were summoned to the headquarters of the NSCN IM at Hebron.