IMC employees raise voice against UGs' diktats
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 19: Functioning of the Imphal Municipal Council (IMC) is in the doldrums today with its employees not being able to concentrate on their work with threats and undue interference from various underground outfits, all asking for their share of the profit from the toll tax and parking charge collection which has already been privatised.

In continued protest against such 'undue interference' and 'unreasonable monetary demand' of the underground outfits, the employees of the Council staged a Wakat Meepham in front of its office gate today.

Employees of IMC protest the demands from UGs

According to the agitating councillors, as different groups of people who identified themselves as underground activists of UNLF, PREPAK, KYKL and PLA started demanding 10 percent of the total amount collected from toll tax and vehicle parking charge which has been privatised, a conflicting situation has come about in which these underground outfits try to control the tax collection.

When the Council requested for arriving at an understanding among themselves first of all, these underground organisations have imposed restriction on collection of the taxes.

But even while the restriction imposed by them is still in force, the underground outfits charged the Council with collecting the taxes, and along with serving a demand of Rs 100 per day, a fine of Rs 500 was also imposed.

To find out the veracity of the charges levelled, all the toll posts of the Council have been checked and it was found that some people suspected to have connection with these four underground outfits were collecting the taxes.

However, when these people were reminded about the monetary demand and the fine imposed on the Council, they simply replied to settle the matter by the Council with all the concerned.

So there is the confusion as to how many sections these underground organisations have, the agitating councillors said.

When asked for further details on the whole issue, the councillors disclosed that following the announcement of the privatisation of the collection of the toll tax and the parking charges, an official order had been issued and the contract had been taken by the underground organisations.

Though the contract had been expired on March this year, the same has not been renewed nor issue a new order for inviting new contract till date.

The developmental work being taken up by the Council which is responsible for keeping the Imphal city neat and clean has hampered due to such undue interference, agitating councillors lamented.

Making it clear that the Council is in no position to meet the demands of the underground organisations, the agitating councillors have also categorically declared that the Council would take over the collection of the taxes if the underground organisations concerned do not give a response from their side on the current deadlock.