After Dimapur traders' shutdown protest, Nagaland relaunches drive against illegal money collection

Guwahati: Days after traders at Dimapur, Nagaland's largest commercial town, downed their shutters to register protest against illegal collection of money by various organizations, the state government on Tuesday asked all district administration and police to relaunch a drive to check such illegal collection.

In an instruction issued by the state home department asked the administration and police to initiate action as per the notification issued on May 31, 2012 that banned illegal collection of money by NGOs, unions and any other organisations by erecting interstate or intrastate check gates on national highways or other roads.

"It has also been laid down that anyone indulging in any such illegal activities is liable to be prosecuted under Section 188 and 384 of IPC," said the order.

It said steps were earlier taken to prevent and curb unauthorized collection of money in the form of taxes/ membership fee/ subscription/ contribution/ donation/ charge/levy/ toll or any other form of collection of money on state highways/national highway or market places by Unions/Associations/NGOs or any other private and community organizations.

Illegal collection of money by insurgent groups including factions of NSCN has remained a serious issue in the conflict-hit Nagaland. As the talks with several Naga insurgent groups have dragged on for years, groups have been found collecting "taxes" by erecting check gates on the roads and traders and others to run their " own governments."

Fed up with such illegal collections, Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry on April 26 went on an indefinite shutdown to register their protests. Following the shutdown, the BJP-NDPP government assured to address the problem by relaunching a crackdown.