Morung Express: Dimapur: Thursday,
May 26, 2016.
Nagaland
Government spent Rs 47, 88, 476 on the ‘High Powered Committee (HPC) on Illegal
and Multiple Taxation’, which was constituted on August 5, 2014 after
complaints from public and civil societies against various forms of illegal and
multiple taxation.
The HPC was
headed by a retired Judge, Supreme Court, as Chairman and two other members.
The Morung
Express has obtained a copy of the RTI response available with the Nagaland
Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum.
According to
the RTI response issued by the Political Branch of the Home Department,
Government of Nagaland, the HPC was initially given 90 days from the date of
constitution of the Committee to submit its report. However, owing to the
volume and nature of the cases, the time frame was extended till May 31, 2015
taking the total time provided to the HPC to almost 10 months.
The
Government of Nagaland spent Rs 12, 00, 000 for the Chairman and Rs 6, 00, 000
each for the two members as their honorarium/salaries taking the total amount
to Rs 24, 00, 000.
Another Rs
99, 000 was spent for the Chairman and Rs 49, 000 each for the two members for
their ‘Re-imbursement of POL.’
Further, an
amount of Rs 67, 339 was spent for ‘repair and replacement of vehicles’
including a (Tata) Safari and a (Mahindra) Bolero.
The grand
total of all expenditures comes to Rs 47, 88, 476.
As per the
Government notification constituting the HPC, the Chairman was to receive a
monthly honorarium of Rs 1 lakh plus vehicle while the other two members were
to receive Rs 50, 000 each monthly as honorarium and travelling allowances etc.
Whereas the
HPC took 10 months, which means the monthly honorarium for the Chairman for 10
months should be Rs 10, 00, 000, it was shown as Rs 12, 00, 000 in the RTI
response. The honorarium for the other two members, when calculated for 10
months with Rs 50, 000 per month, the amount comes to Rs 5, 00, 000 each but it
was shown as Rs 6, 00, 000 each in the RTI reply.
The HPC
report was finally submitted on June 10, 2015 to the Chief Minister. While it
took 10 months for HPC to submit its time consuming report that involved
travelling to different places, meeting varied sections of people, it is
interesting to note that 11 months have lapsed since the final report was
submitted yet the Government says that the HPC report is under “active
examination” by a Committee under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary.
It may be
recalled that ACAUT has demanded the Nagaland State Government to implement the
HPC report and recommendations stating that the Naga people deserve
implementation of the findings in totality.
Denial of
info is denial of fundamental rights: NPRAAF
The Nagaland
Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) informed in a press release
from its Information & Publicity Cell that it had filed an RTI application
to the Chief Information Commissioner, Nagaland Information Commission (NIC) to
issue necessary direction to the Home Department to furnish information to
NPRAAF under RTI Act 2005 regarding the High Powered Committee on Illegal and
Multiple Taxation which was constituted in August 2014 and submitted its report
in June 2015.
Since the HPC
had submitted its report directly to the Chief Minister, the NPRAAF informed
that it had also filed an RTI application to the Chief Minister/PIO requesting
a copy of the HPC’s full report. However, the application was re-directed by
the CMO to the Home Department. The Home Department, through a letter dated May
12, 2016, reportedly “denied” the HPC report to NPRAAF stating that “the
information cannot be furnished since the report is under active examination by
a Committee headed by the Chief Secretary.”
The NPRAAF
viewed this “denial” of information as “denial of fundamental rights” under the
Constitution of India. It noted that the HPC report was sought in recognition
of Section 8 (1) of the RTI Act 2005 which states that “the information which
cannot be denied to the Parliament or a State Legislature shall not be denied
to any person.”
The Forum has
now written to the NIC to issue necessary direction to the Home Department to
furnish the required information and also to take “necessary action” against
the PIO for “denying” information under RTI Act 2005.
According to
the NPRAAF, the NIC has “verbally informed” that it will conduct a hearing with
the Home Department in the presence of NPRAAF members to give reasons why
information sought under RTI Act was not furnished and necessary actions to be
taken, if necessary. The date of hearing is to be fixed and intimated by the
NIC, informed NPRAAF.
.JPG)
.JPG)
