SHILLONG: The State Government had taken the major decision to effect unprecedented hike in vehicular taxes without any approval of the Cabinet, official sources said. The decision also led to resurfacing of the allegation against Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma, in charge of Taxation, that he takes crucial decisions in dictatorial manner.
According of the official sources, the Government decided to revise the taxes merely on the recommendations of the Task Force for Resource Mobilization.
“Before taking any decision on major issues, the matter is used to be discussed in the Cabinet. We failed to understand why this matter was not put before the Cabinet,” the sources said on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the East Khasi Hills Local Taxi Welfare Association (EKHLTWA) has strongly criticised the State Government for increasing the tax on motor vehicles in a ‘hush-hush’ manner.
The taxi association even threatened not to pay the tax till the rates are reviewed.
“We would not accept the four to five times hike in vehicular taxes,” EKHLTWA general secretary Wandibok Jyrwa said on Sunday.
The EKHLTWA will hold its executive committee meeting on Monday to decide its future course of action on the issue. The Association is planning to form a joint coordination committee by joining hands with other vehicle operators.
Jyrwa, meanwhile, accused Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma, who holds the Taxation portfolio, of engineering the hike himself and not by the Task Force on Resource Mobilization or even Transport Minister AT Mondal.
“He (Dr Sangma) is a dictator and not fit as leader. The people of the State need a government that should address the common man’s problems and not to crush them,” Jyrwa said.
“The government should explain on what ground the taxes were hiked without informing the public and when was the Task Force set up for such purpose,” the EKHLTWA general secretary said.
