Truckers facing 'tax' heat of 'IM'
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 07 2013: With truck drivers once again bombarded with monetary demands of NSCN-IM along the NH-2, they are facing a hard time in trying to cross Senapati and Mao.

Talking to Hueiyen Lanpao, some of the truck drivers informed that the 'annual road tax' imposed by NSCN-IM from trucks plying along the National Highway is increasing every year.

Earlier the taxes from Manipur bound trucks were collected inside in Nagaland.

However, of late, collection of taxes from the trucks has started inside Manipur itself at Senapati and Mao area.

The truck drivers further informed that recently armed cadres of NSCN-IM forcefully collected the annual road taxes from goods laden trucks coming to Manipur at Senapati and Mao.

NSCN-IM collects Rs 8000 as annual road tax from every six-wheeler truck; Rs 15,000 from every 10-wheeler truck and Rs 18,000 from every 12-wheeler truck.

The truck drivers are being threatened with dire consequences if the annual road tax is not paid.

In spite of all these problems they are compelled to pass through the area risking their lives.

Apart from the taxes collected by the NSCN-IM, some of the Kuki militants are also imposing taxes forcefully from the truck drivers at Motbung and Sapermeina along NH-2.These Kuki militants demand an amount of Rs 5000/6000 from every truck.

If their demands are not met, then they resort to taking the trucks in their custody.

At times, the trucks were not allowed to proceed further and forced to turn back.

In addition to this illegal taxes collected by UG groups, the Police, Excise, Narcotic Affairs and Forest also collect taxes from the trucks right from Sekmai in Manipur to Dimapur in Nagaland, forcefully, the aggrieved truck drivers disclosed.

All these problems could be solved if the government provides adequate security to the goods laden trucks bringing in essential commodities, they lamented.

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