The Nagaland state committee of the National People’s Party (NPP) has demanded abrogation of COVID19 cess levied on petrol and diesel.
The Nagaland government levied the COVID19 cess on diesel and petrol from April 28 midnight which increased the fuel prices.
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Earlier, many organisations and parties have raised their voices against the act of the Nagaland government.
Also read: Nagaland govt urged to rollback COVID19 cess levied on petrol, diesel
“The latest decision of the Finance Department to put an additional COVID-19 cess on the prices of fuel is bereft of any possible logic, especially at a time when the entire economy of the state is in jeopardy,” said Nagaland state NPP in a statement.
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The statement has been issued by Nagaland state NPP president Dr Andrew Ahoto Sema and general secretary Limanuk Limanuksung Longkumer.
Also read: COVID19 cess levied in Nagaland; petrol, diesel to be more costly
Nagaland NPP has termed the levying of COVID19 as “inhuman and illogical”.
“NPP Nagaland is flabbergasted that instead of bringing about certain economic reforms and allaying the financial burden of the people especially of the daily wage earners, it has resorted to levying an inhuman and illogical cess on the prices of fuel,” the party said.
It said the cess “will double the burden of the common people as it will unduly result in price rise across the state which is akin to adding salt to the injury of the people”.
Also read: Nagaland Congress demands immediate rollback of Covid 19 cess on fuel
The party also alleged that some shopkeepers are involved in illegal hoarding of goods.
It said “the prices of commodities are already at an all time high due to illegal hoarding of goods by the shopkeepers and the additional cess will give them another opportunity to raise the prices”.
“This is happening right under the nose of the authorities who are not even monitoring the price rise.”
The Nagaland NPP stated: “This illegitimate manner in which the State Government has tried to add to the burdens of the common people during this crisis is nothing but an attempt to take undue opportunity of filling the coffers of the state at the expense of the common people”.
The party said the act of the government is “totally intolerable” and it condemned “this arbitrary action of the state government in harshest terms”.
The party also alleged that the “state government has always tried its best to take the people of Nagaland for a ride by not making public those schemes and benefits received from the Centre and at the same time not being transparent on the utilisation of funds”.
“The state government and its leaders must instead seek the betterment of public life instead of taking undue advantage out of the grim situation of the pandemic,” said Nagaland NPP.
Nagaland had just one positive case which was also transferred for treatment to Assam where he has been successfully cured.
“Therefore, our question to the state government is why it needs so much additional funds when the central government has already poured in huge amounts of money and when the H&FW department has already professed that it is adequately equipped with all infrastructures to meet the eventualities of the pandemic,” it added.
“Not even 2 months of the lockdown has passed and our financial position is in shambles and our State Government seems to be on its knees with a begging bowl,” said the statement.