Dimapur: With the closure of all the check gates in the state, except the existing inter-state police check gates, the Nagaland government said prices of essential commodities should come down.
Addressing the departmental review meeting of food and civil supplies and land records and survey departments in his office in Kohima on Friday, chief secretary J Alam directed the food and civil supplies department to monitor the prices of essentials.
Alam also asked the state government departments to work towards bringing public services online which will save time and bring about ease of doing business for both government offices and citizens and enhance transparency and accountability in the working system.
In a notification on May 19, the state government ordered the immediate closure of all check gates set up by various departments, including by municipal and town councils, throughout the state, except the inter-state check gates, which were allowed to function till May 31, to curb the illegal collection of money from vehicles on roads.
Beyond that date, these check gates will function only after obtaining the specific approval of the home department, it said.
The deputy commissioner in every district had been asked to constitute an inspection team comprising ADC (HQ), additional SP or additional DCP, district transport officer and district public relations officer to ensure that there is no check gate functional on any road in the district in violation of the order.
Following the closure of the check gates, police arrested two government employees on charges of issuing transit passes to four vehicles in contravention of the government notification in Wokha.
An amount of Rs 20,900, along with blank challans and a register, was also seized from the duo. The money was collected from four vehicles, SP (Crime) and Nagaland police public relations officer said in a release.
Both are employees of the geology and mining department. The police said the duo was caught during an inspection at a check gate based on a complaint filed by Wokha ADC Lankonsen Tsanglao.