Excise has no ride—personnel use SP’s official vehicle for patrols!
Dimapur, October 28: The Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act is in a way botheration for Nagaland’s Excise department thanks to the general understanding of the people and the government that with the prohibition act, the work of the Excise department would be reduced.
This has led to negligence of the department, BS Nganlang Phom, the parliamentary secretary for Excise and Land Resources complained on Friday. The department, churches and various other organisations are dependent on the act and thereby the Excise department is being taken for granted, he said. The Act was misunderstood even though it was right, Nganlang said.
The legislator was addressing the Nagaland State Excise Field Staff Association’s (NSEFSA) annual conference as the chief guest at the Excise Directorate in Dimapur on October 28.
The Excise department is one of the revenue-generating departments of the state although under the Prohibition Act. The politician maintained that for said reason officers should be ‘honest and straightforward’ in their responsibility. That way, he explained, the department’s image would be improved. Drawing attention to the trend of ‘VIP letter’ in Nagaland, Phom remarked that such ‘letters’ through VIPs prevents departments from growing. Transparent posting should be practised because every individual wants to be posted according to their convenience; there should be no deprivation to any worker of equal opportunity, he said.
The legislator has assured the Excise department personnel that ‘there will be justice to every person without room for loops.’
During the event, the NSEFSA presented a memorandum to the parliamentary secretary, apprising him about the pressing need of the department for enforcement vehicles.
The memorandum stated that the Excise department had not been equipped with a ‘single pool patrol vehicle’ for the past several decades. Such a dismal state-of-affairs is unprecedented in the history of the Excise department, it implied.
Another embarrassing revelation: the association mentioned that it was a dishonour to the office of the superintendent of Excise for his government-assigned vehicle to double up as a mobile pool or petrol vehicle. This has been the practice so far for the Excise department.
Further, the NSEFSA appealed to Phom to inform the Nagaland government to maximise field efficiency and productivity, deploy mobile pool or patrol vehicles for very district establishments and independent sub-divisions along with directorate-attached field units such as the mobile squad and narcotic cells.
All the district head excise officials in the capacity of superintendent of Excise along with that of mobile squads and the narcotic cell may be provided with Bolero vehicles ‘befitting the status and functions,’ it was stated. This, they stated, can be an upgrade from the Gypsy King. It was also requested that the deputy superintendent of Excise and inspectors of Excise with independent charges be provided with basic benefits such as a Gypsy King.
‘This preferential priority in making the mobility aspect of the department will be crucial for the state’s objective to insulate the society from the destabilising effect of drugs and liquor,’ the NSEFSA said.
The politician took note of the memorandum said that the requirements of the Excise department would be ‘taken up’ with the government. He also conveyed that though the government may not meet all their requirements but he at his capacity will ensure that the modern equipments are provided.
The NSEFSA general conference 2016 was chaired by its General Secretary Vithoselie Terhuja and President Arilong Longkumer welcomed the gathering. The vote of thanks was rendered by Chanlei Angh, NSEFSA treasurer.
