Our Correspondent
Kohima, July 16 (EMN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) on Friday submitted a memorandum to the governor of Nagaland demanding rollback of centre excise duty, state VAT, LPG price and SK oil to 2014 bench line besides essential items.
The Congress workers marched from State Indoor Stadium to the Raj Bhavan and submitted the memorandum to the governor through T Mhabemo Yanthan, Commissioner and Secretary to Governor on Friday.
Speaking at a press conference held at Congress Bhavan, NPCC president K Therie stated that people of Nagaland are subjected to multiple taxes and collections, both "legally or illegally" apart from price hike of fuel products and essential items.
'The hike in prices of fuel and essential commodities including construction materials has affected every common people's life,' he said.
"You go anywhere, you have to pay taxes, be it for parking, road, transportation or essential commodities," he said, adding that various taxes are levied on the people and in different forms like collections from hundreds of associations and unions.
He informed that they had demanded the government to constitute an "independent pricing commission" headed by a high court judge to streamline the prices of essential commodities and bring about a reasonable rate in the state.
He added that they had appealed to the governor to constitute a high powered committee to streamline collection of fees, donations and contributions by various societies, trade unions, associations etc.
Therie asserted that Nagaland government has "not reacted in any manner" to its ongoing agitation against fuel price hike. He also expressed unhappiness over the deputy commissioner of Kohima initially not allowing the party workers to hold a "peaceful protest".
He however expressed happiness that many, "cutting across political boundaries", had supported and taken part in the signature campaign against unabated fuel price hike.
Capt. GK Zhimomi, general secretary of NPCC, updated that a total of 1,777 signatures have already being collected through online platforms and 7600 offline from the state so far.
Informing that the signature campaign is being carried out in Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Tuensang, Wokha, Mon and Noklak, he said the final figures of signatures will be updated on Saturday.