Dimapur NGO protest against Municipality

Kohima:Several Dimapur-based civil society organizations led by the Naga Council of Dimapur (NCD) have resolved that the lessee system practiced by the Urban Development Department (UDD) ‘will not be allowed at any cost’.
According to a press release on Sunday the decision was taken after a meeting with Dimapur Municipal Council Emplo-yees Welfare Union (DMCEWA) at NCD Unity Hall on Friday, which discussed the present controversy arising out of the lessee system being implemented by UDD.
After thorough discus-sion the civil society organizations resolved that the lessee system practiced by UDD would not be allowed at any cost as it was the highest form of corrup-tion and robbing of the public without any accoun-tability and development and one of the main reasons of price rise in Nagaland.
DMC-EWU on side and the civil society organiza-tions led by NCD including Dimapur Chamber of Com-merce and Industry (DCCI), Youth Association of Naga-land (YAN), Dimapur Urban Colony Council Chairman Federation (DUCCCF), Business Association of Nagas (BAN), G.B Union on the other also signed a memorandum of under-standing (MoU) in order to ‘arrive at a best possible solution to streamline the issue of toll tax collections by DMC.’
It may be recalled, that the DMC Employees Welfare Union(DMC-EWU) has demanded that the Urban Development Depart-ment scrap the present lessee system allotted to individuals to collect toll tax. The DMC-EWU claimed that whereas the monthly collection of toll tax was Rs.60 Lakhs, the UDD-appointed lessees depo-sited only Rs.22 Lakh as per lease agreement. (UNI)