A faction of the council is insisting that it should keep on collecting the ´taxes´ despite the administration´s decision while another faction is for moving in coordination with the local administration. [break]
Members of the council were found collecting ´taxes´ on river and forest products after the local bodies recently imposed a ban on collecting money along the roads. Until recently, the members used to accumulate money from transport vehicles after setting up barriers across the roads in the manner of the local administration.
The council members have been collecting money at ´check points´ set up along the highways since February, 2009. The local administration, with the help of police, intervened against such activity Saturday and imposed a ban on it. They used to collect money from trucks and tractors ferrying stones, pebbles, sand and other river and forest products.
"The administration has intervened in our activities and stopped us from collecting tax along the roads," Ghanashyam Chaudhary, district chairman of the council, said, adding, "But we are collecting money at other places."
Central member Prakash Chaudhary, however, claimed that they have stopped collecting such money. "All we want is that the administration become flexible," he said. According to him, the issue is under discussion at the council.
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