Various organizations collecting illegal 'taxes' in Bara

BARA, Sept 3: Although the law allows only the District Development Committee (DDC) to levy tax on the export of construction materials like sand and stones from different rivers in the district, various organizations, schools and individuals in Bara district have been collecting ´taxes´ from vehicles exporting sand, stones and aggregate from the district.



Dumarwana Multiple Campus (DMC) in Dumarwana VDC and a group led by a local contractor, Shyam Dev Chaudhary, in Manaharwa VDC have been reportedly collecting illegal taxes from tractor trailers, tippers and trucks transporting the construction materials excavated from various rivers in the villages. [break]



Local Development Officer of Bara district Badri Krishna Shankerdev informed that only the District Development Committee can levy tax on the export of the construction materials, but locals in the two villages are collecting ´taxes´ illegally from the vehicles transporting stones and sand excavated from vaious rivers including Dudhaura, Lalbakaiya and Balganga.



“We have frequently warned such groups in the past to stop the illegal activities, but they have not taken our warning seriously,” he said adding, the DDC is currently holding discussion with other authorities to take action against such groups.



The Dumarwana VDC office informed that DMC through an all-party agreement in the VDC has illegally awarded a contract worth Rs 800,000 to a local contractor for collecting taxes for the current fiscal year from vehicles exporting construction materials.



DMC chief Krishna Poudel said the money collected will be used for enhancing the quality of education in the college.



Though the government has already dismissed an all-party committee formed in Manaharwa, the same committee has illegally awarded a contract worth Rs 1.4 million to a local contractor Shyam Dev Chaudhary, according to the VDC office in Manaharwa.



The contractors charge between Rs 100 and Rs 150 to each tractor trailer, Rs 300 to 6-wheeler trucks and Rs 350 to 10-wheeler trucks.



Though the truck and tractor operators have complained at the District Administration Office demanding action against the illegal collection of taxes, no action has been taken so far. The vehicle operators said they are forced to pay illegal taxes at five different places for each consignment.



Chief District Officer Durga Prasad Pokharel said his office is investigation into the illegal ´tax´ collection and claimed that action will be taken soon.

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