Rautahat, December 2:

Businessmen here have co-mplained that some people have been raising illegal tax on the east-west highway.

According to them, people related to Sanjaya Takala, a contractor are collecting illegal tax at Paurai VDC of Rautahat district for last four months. It is said that Takala had bagged the contract for Rs 76,000,00 from DDC Rautahat to raise scrap tax from the sub-highways but he has been raising the tax from the main highway. “His men have been raising tax of agricultural items also, though it is illegal. If we speak against the illegal tax, they beat us,” said victims.

“Takala has also been raising the tax from east-west highway of Sarlahi, Mahottari, Dhanusha, Siraha and Saptari,” said a businessman without being named.

“Local police administration and DDC office remained silent despite several complaints against him,” Yogendra Gupta, a local of Gaur, said, adding that they have erected a check post with the help of police administration though nobody is allowed to do so at the mid-highway.

Deepak Lal Das, LDO, said he is unknown of such incidents.