GUWAHATI, Jan 19? Trucks carrying fish to different parts of Assam as well as the other north-eastern States are being forced to pay thousands of rupees at the check posts all along the National Highways and ultimately the burden is shifted to the customers. According to the Assam Wholesale Fish Traders Association, the current demand of fish in Assam is met by importing fish from States like Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, as the local production is not adequate. The association said that recently the Assam Government had levied an entry tax of eight per cent, which is not applicable in any other State. Apart from that, one per cent of market cess is also being collected.
In addition to the tax collected by the Government, the trucks have to pay thousands of rupees at various points enroute to the markets all over the State? while an amount of Rs 500 per truck is being taken by a ?youth syndicate? at the Srirampur check gate, the Association alleged. The Association revealed that a truck carrying fish has to pay an amount of Rs 4,250 at different check gates and points while proceeding from Guwahati to Karimganj while an amount of Rs 4,450 is to be paid while proceeding from Guwahati to Silchar. The association also revealed that each truck carrying fish from Rangiya to Dimapur has to pay Rs 1,625, Rs 615 while moving from Rangiya to Jorhat, Rs 885 on way to Dibrugarh from Rangiya and Rs 535 enroute to Nagaon from Rangiya. The association pointed out that the burden is shifted to the consumers, making fish out of reach of the poor consumers.
Meanwhile, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has called upon the Central and State Governments to take immediate steps to check collection of ?illegal tax? from the truckers. In a memorandum to the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya and the Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, the vice-president of the AGP, Sri Dilip Kumar Saikia, said that collection of ?goonda tax? has assumed menacing proportion as the price of fish increased alarmingly due to such illegal practices. He said so far the State Government has not taken any serious step to check collection of such illegal tax. He also alleged that the State witnessed the growth of a mafia culture because of the state Government?s failure to take prompt action to stop collection of ?illegal tax?.