Hengbung taxation post : Govt sleeps over highest earner
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 31 2014 : Fate of Hengbung taxation check post, which adds maximum revenue to the State exchequer among the three taxation posts of the State, is currently hanging in limbo as the land owner is set to move the Court to reclaim his land.

The post, which was opened as a temporary taxation check post in December 2010, had collected Rs 48,371,878 as Casual Tax and VAT till October this year, said an official source from the State Taxation Department.

The source added that the said post generates more revenue than the posts of Jiribam and Moreh.

Considering the potential of earning good revenue on NH-2, the State Government earlier had a plan to set up a taxation check post near Mao.

However, the plan had to be cancelled as nobody turned up to provide land for the said purpose.

Later, a temporary taxation post was opened at Hengbung after the king of Hengbung provided a 9-acre land to the Government after the Chief Minister's repeated requests.

Hengbung taxation post

Apart from this land, Hengbung king's brother late Paokholet Kipgen's building is also currently used as the office of the check post.

Saying that land levelling and other infrastructure development for the taxation post started in 2010, the source said that the State Government has however not given even a single paisa for the land and building till date.

Although, the Hengbung king had repeatedly highlighted the matter to the Government and Senapati DC, no action has been taken up till date prompting the wife and family of late Paokholet Kipgen to make up their mind to fight the matter in the Court.

The source further said that the State Government had never collected such a huge revenue before Hengbung post was opened.

It may be mentioned that during a visit to the post, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam had claimed that Hengbung taxation post is a huge source of revenue for the State Government.

The post is currently manned by a team of 20 VDF personnel led by a Sub-Inspector, although the Deputy Chief Minister had not only assured to run the post without any loophole but also promised to provide adequate security to the post.

The source added that there was also a plan in the past to hand over the post to private parties as the State Government could not collect the projected revenue from the post.

However, the said plan had to be cancelled as it was objected to by the State Home Department, the source added.

Now, the fate of the check post is hanging in limbo as there is no visible plan of the Government to shift the post to a suitable area while the land owner is set to move the Court asking the Government to shift the post to another area or acquire the land at the earliest.