Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 18
THE Action Committee Against Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) on Monday decided to extend another one week to the state government to form a high powered committee (HPC) “to study the whole gamut of unabated taxations and illegal collections involving Naga political groups and government agencies/departments.” The ACAUT’s decision on Monday also signaled the expiry of the 15-day deadline initially issued to the state government, as resolved at the mass public rally on October 31 last at Clock Tower, Dimapur. “With the understanding that patience is a great virtue, the ACAUT is giving the state government time extension of 7 days, that is, till the 22nd of November to finalize the same,” an ACAUT statement informed.
Highly reliable sources from ACAUT told Eastern Mirror on Monday afternoon that the decision to extend another “five or six days” to the state government to form the HPC was taken after taking into consideration “all the factors.”
“This is the final chance. After that we will take our next step,” the source said, even as he refused to divulge further information on the nature of the “next step.” “You will have to wait and see,” he retorted.
The ACAUT source also said that the demand to form the HPC, as resolved during the October 31 rally, was relayed to the state government within “two or three days” after the Clock Tower rally.
Representations, in line with the October 31 resolutions, were duly submitted to the Chief Minister, the Home Minister and the Home Commissioner, he informed. The response from the state government, in any form/nature, is still awaited.
It might be recalled that the ACAUT-led mass rally on October 31 last had, among others, resolved to ask the state government to “constitute a high powered committee within 15 days to study the whole gamut of unabated taxations and illegal collections involving the NPGs and government agencies/departments.
“The committee shall consist of at least 5 (five) members headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or High Court with at least 2 members from the ACAUT.
The committee should submit its report within 2 months with its findings published in all the newspapers. In the event of the government failing to constitute the committee within the said period, the ACAUT will initiate further action in consultation with public,” the resolution read.
Zbto public harassed to the point of death: ACAUT
The ACAUT on Monday expressed “great concern” over the incident in which Kiho Sumi, GB, New Shena village, Zuhneboto district was “badly beaten up by NSCN/GPRN cadres simply because dared to question the cadres on taxation.”
“Asking the cadres to identify themselves and produce challans/receipt could warrant such inhuman beating is beyond condemnable. The people of Zuhneboto district are being harassed beyond imagination to the point of death and this latest episode should spur the Naga people as a whole into action.
“Nagas should rise up in unison and tell the NPGs (Naga Political Groups) in no uncertain terms that the factions will not be recognized henceforth- that is household tax, ration tax, etc., shall be stopped immediately unless remedial steps are taken.
“Kiho Sumi is a victim of greed in the form of unabated taxation and the ACAUT calls upon every right thinking individual and organizations to come forward in condemning this incident,” read an ACAUT press statement issued today.
