KOHIMA: The Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has urged the Nagaland government to issue a clarification on the legality of the taxes levied by the Underground Groups (UGs) on the business community of the state.
In a written address to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Saturday, the chamber has put forward a list of five demands for the government to consider, urging for Rio’s “sincere and prompt intervention”.
Apart from a clarification on the legality of the alleged taxes levied by UGs, the DCCI also wants the government to declare summoning of the business community to offices, camps, and monitoring cells of National Political Groups (NPGs) as illegal.
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Among the five demands, the Chamber also asked the government to declare the so-called “raids” on business establishments in the name of expiry-date checking and MRP tampering as illegal.
“Extortion, kidnapping, and waylaying of transport should be dealt with swiftly, with full force and no impunity,” the letter further added.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CNCCI) has informed that the indefinite shutter-down will continue as there has been “no positive response from the government” yet.
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The CNCCI, which joined the All Nagaland Indefinite Shutter Down on Saturday, said that the shutter-down will be relaxed for six hours on Monday “to allow residents to stock up” as the protest is set to continue for a prolonged period.
Earlier on April 26, the day the shutter-down came into force, the Nagaland Home Department issued a formal appeal to the DCCI asking it to end the indefinite shutdown.
In an effort to persuade the chamber, the Department also instructed the Director General of Police and Commissioner of Kohima to take strict action against UGs involved in extortion, particularly in Dimapur.
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Neither the DCCI nor the other organisations, standing in support against the alleged extortion, were swayed by the Home Department’s appeal and decided to continue the indefinite shutter-down.
As the All Nagaland Indefinite Shutter-Down entered its third day on Sunday, the business community in the state stands united and is set to continue with their agitation awaiting a concrete solution from the government.
