. A businessman has attempted ‘self-immolation’ after a vehicle carrying scrap goods was stopped against the law.
Organizing a press conference in the capital on Thursday, Dhading Dhunibasi Municipality has stopped the vehicles in defiance of the orders of the District Court and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Mukesh Prasad Sah, a kawad businessman, tried to set himself ablaze by pouring petrol on Wednesday, saying that no one listened to the pleas of all the state agencies.
A team from the Scrub Haq Hit Foundation immediately rescued the victim and prevented any untoward incident, said Foundation’s Chairperson Sanjay Sah.
Mukesh Prasad Sah, one of the victims, said that the kawad entrepreneurs have been facing double and triple taxation for a long time.
Mukesh said that the price of iron at Dharke checkpoint of Dhuniveshi Municipality in Dhading district is Rs 3.39 per kg and at Nagarjun Municipality’s Sonowharyang Kanta it costs only Rs 2.26 per kg in Kathmandu.
“We have been going to Nagarjun Municipality by taking a small ladder to cut the receipt of Nagarjun Municipality even if it is loaded in any part of Kathmandu to save Rs 1.13 paise, but Dhading has been obstructing it,” Mukesh said.
Hussain Ali, a businessman, said, “We have been following the widely accepted rule that the tax is imposed only at the place where the goods are loaded,” said Hussain Ali, a businessman, adding, “Nissan Suppliers has been collecting export tax on the Sano-Bharyang Weigh Bridge by signing a contract with Nagarjun Municipality.”
Victim Mukesh said that even after paying the tax on the small ladder, the Dhunibesi Municipality has been pressuring the people to stop and block the vehicle at Dharke and pay double tax.
Mukesh said that the Supreme Court on February 1, 2002 had ordered to allow the vehicles to pass without any hindrance after paying the export tax from one place.
“The people’s representatives, employees and police of Dhunibisa Municipality have not only disobeyed the same order but have also contempt the honorable court by misinterpreting it,” Mukesh added.
Sanjay Sah, president of the Scrap Rights Foundation, said that it is a matter of regret that the entrepreneurs have reached to self-immolation as they have not implemented the law despite pleading with various state bodies. Sah argued that the order passed by the Kathmandu District Court on July 11, 2008 stating that the tax should not be collected and not to be collected in violation of the terms of the agreement reached with the Nagajurn Municipality on August 11, 2008 has been misinterpreted.
When contacted by Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs Kali Prasad Parajuli in the middle of the press conference, he said that he has already asked the Chief District Officer of Dhading to release the stranded vehicles.
Chief District Officer (CDO) of Dhading, Laxmi Pandey Gautam, said that they have asked the police to release the incident. Deputy Mayor of Dhuniveshi Municipality, Suraj Upreti, said that he was not aware of the stoppage of the vehicle and asked him to contact the Chief Administrative Officer about it. Binod Kumar Khanal, chief administrative officer of the municipality, said that the vehicles were stopped as per the law.
Khanal said that the vehicles have been stopped as per the court order and they will not be allowed to go to Dhuniyasi Municipality without paying tax.
“I don’t know what else it is, the municipality has signed an agreement with the contractor to collect the tax, it is a matter of the contractor rather than us,” Khanal added.
SP Sumit Khadka said, “DSP Saab says everything about this.”
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Saroj Karki said that he had no information about the incident.
Inspector Rajendra Bahadur KC said that they had acted as per the order of the Supreme Court, adding, “Since the Kathmandu District Court had issued a stay order against Nagarjun Municipality on July 11, 2083, it will not be acceptable that the receipt of Nagajurna Municipality was issued after that date.”
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Kawadi entrepreneur Buddha Lama expressed his anger over the police administration misinterpreting the court order and stopping the vehicle. Another entrepreneur Rabi Sah warned that they would launch a stern protest if the problem was not resolved as per the law.
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