DIMAPUR, JUNE 24 (MExN): In response to a letter by the Action Committee against Unabated Taxation to the Dimapur Municipal Council, the Chief Executive Officer of the DMC, Orenthung Lotha has clarified that the amount collected on livestock “is not tax but the inspection fee.” While appreciating the ACAUT’S initiative against the burden of taxation, the CEO of the DMC in a press note stated that the nominal fee collected by its Veterinary and Public Health Cell is directly deposited to the office for maintenance of staff salaries and their basic administrative expenses.
The CEO stated that the rate quoted in the letter “is highly exaggerated and misinformed.” He informed that the Veterinary and Public Health Cell collects Rs 40 per buffalo and cattle, Rs 30 per pig, Rs 15 per goat and sheep, Rs 25 per stall each day for poultry and fish and Rs 70 per stall each day for eggs. He also said that “the question of collecting fees twice a day from one Vendor/person does not arise as there are some markets which open only in the morning and some open only in the evening.”
He said that the Veterinary & Public Health Cell carry out inspections both in the morning and in the evening. “In the process, the same person may sit in two different markets by bringing different new stock of commodities, for which it may necessitate inspection and realizing fees for those items,” he added.
Orenthung informed that the DMC is a statutory body guided by Municipal Act and that it generates its own fund from the various available sources, so as to provide services and civic amenities to the public. He further said that the purpose of the Veterinary and Public Health Cell is to provide healthy and safe livestock, meat, fish, poultry and their products to consumers with proper ante mortem and post mortem examination.
Stating that the staffs discharge their duties from 2:00 am for postmortem at cattle slaughter house and every evening from 4:30 to 6:00 pm for ante mortem inspection of cattle, Orenthung said that “this gigantic task is carried out by few qualified doctors & trained VFA’s with proper training and instructions.”
He further informed that there are 4 pig stockyards in Dimapur and that the personnel are engaged in duties from 3:00 am till 9:00 am in the morning. “This is done so that the consumers avail healthy and hygienic ready to cook meat made available in the market from 5:00 am in the morning,” he added.
Orenthung, however, conceded that “there may be lapses while discharging of duties with less manpower and lack of infrastructures and facilities.” He assured that these lapses would be looked into by the authority for any corrective measures.
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