Dimapur, October 2 : Civic platforms and transport services have raised the demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the fuel-adulteration racket in Nagaland for ‘greater transparency and justice.’ A bandh has been scheduled for October 4 to force fulfilment of said demand.
A good number of organizations representing the public and commercial couriers, including taxis and truckers, issued separate statements on Saturday. A civic platform also lamented that the state’s government should have ‘felt ashamed’ enough to treat the matter on priority and go after ‘the department.’
The Dimapur District Citizens Forum, stating in its note on Sunday, demanded “immediate follow up action to hand over fuel adulteration case to the CBI as desired by the Coordination Committee on Fuel Adulteration (CCOFA).”
The forum opined that “when such an important issue was highlighted by the non-governmental organization, the government should feel ashamed and take up the matter with top priority and immediately go into the department of the racket.”
Owners of petrol pumps should also be held equally accountable as they had ‘sublet / leased’ their outlets to be used for unlawful activities, the forum stated.
The organisation has appreciated the ACAUT for taking the ‘pain’ to unearth the ‘organized adulteration racket’ for the benefit of all citizens of Nagaland.
The DDCF assured that it stood by the public resolution of September 10 and fully supported the committee enforce a bandh if the case is not handed over to the CBI for ‘greater transparency and justice.’
Bandh on October 4
Also, the Dimapur District Pick-Up Van Owners & Drivers’ Union has expressed full support to the call for a bandh on October 4 demanding a CBI inquiry. A note from the union has appealed to all right thinking citizens to fight corruption in the state.
Likewise, the Dimapur unit of the All Nagaland Taxi Association (ANTA) supports the demand to call in the CBI within 15 days to investigate the case and to ‘re-arrest the kingpins and the culprits who involved in this heinous crime of fuel adulteration.’
The ANTA issued a note on Sunday directing all taxi owners and drivers under the organisation to be ‘off road’ on October 4.
Similarly, the Dimapur District Truck Drivers Welfare Trade Union offers its support to said demand. “It is pertinent to mention that the CCoFA has submitted a memorandum address to the chief secretary Nagaland on 23rd September 2016 to give assent for thorough inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation on the fuel adulteration scam within a period of 15 days from the date of submission of the memo,” a note from the drivers on Sunday iterated.
The organisation has asked the state government to “allow” the CBI to investigate the matter. The union has requested all its members to “desist themselves from plying / driving” on October 4 from 6:00am to 6:00pm. “It is to be noted that the said appeal made herein is not mandatory and binding and is purely voluntary. Hence, the general public are therefore, requested to bear with the inconvenience if any, and cooperate during the given period,” the union added.
