Birgunj, January 17

Drivers of fuel tankers in Birgunj staged agitation today over ‘illegal’ vehicle tax.

They have accused H&J Traders, Parawanipur, a company which was awarded a contract to collect the vehicle tax by Birgunj Metropolitan City, of collecting the tax against the contract from them.

Agitating drivers staged protest by parking their vehicles near a barricade set up at Laxmanawa Chowk at Birgunj’s Bypass Road to collect the tax.

“Though the contract does not mention of collecting tax from fuel tankers, the company has been collecting tax from tankers, which is not fair,” said Nepal Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs Federation central member Binod Manandhar.

As per sources, H&J Traders of Parawanipur, owned by Habib Miyan, who is the ward chairperson of Birgunj metropolis-25, had won the contract from the metropolis for 31.5 million rupees for 213 days.

Protest against the contractor has started lately after its representatives started charging high amount as tax from the vehicles. Over the same issue, tanker drivers had closed the integrated customs checking post on Sunday.

“Regarding further protest programmes, we will take decision about it following a meeting of the federation tomorrow,” said the federation’s central member Manandhar.