MAWKYRWAT: The All Khasi Hills Achik Federation (AKHAF) on Friday urged the Deputy Commissioner of South West Khasi Hills, Isawanda Laloo, to demolish illegal toll gates and to stop the illegal collection of taxes at Bagli under Ranikor civil sub-division.
AKHAF general secretary John D Sangma alleged that the local people of Bagli engaged in transportation or mining of coal and limestone were subjected to multiple collection of taxes at toll gates erected by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), Transport Department, Customs Gate and gates erected by leaseholder of the KHADC.
Sangma said the federation was surprised and could not understand under what provisions of the law the KHADC appointed leaseholder to set up two toll gates and grant them permission to collect a fixed amount of Rs 200 per vehicle in both the gates.
“It is a well established and settled principle of law that a department cannot resort to collection of taxes for the same merchantable goods more than once or in other words multiple collections of taxes is illegal per se,” Sangma said.
Sangma said that the royalty collected from coal, limestone and weighment fees by DMR and Transport Department was also shared between the state government and the KHADC.
“Due to multiple collections of taxes, the small and marginal traders are facing extreme agony after making series of payment and therefore they are unable to sustain their livelihood,” Sangma said, adding that the AKHAF requested the DC to investigate the matter and direct the concerned authority to stop forthwith the illegal collection of taxes and demolish all the illegall toll gates.
The AKHAF also requested the DC to reject the application submitted by Khrikshon Lyngkhoi of Demseiniong for ‘no objection’ certificate for setting up explosive magazine at Bagli.
“We met all the neighbouring villages and interacted with cross-section of people to ascertain their opinion on the setting up of explosive magazine in the area and everyone is against the issuance of the NOC to Lyngkhoi,” Sangma said.
