Maoists on tax collection drive in Jhapa

Damak, September 4 :

The Maoists have started collecting tax in three municipalities of Jhapa district from today after five political parties and the Maoists failed to come to an agreement on dividing the tax collected by the local body.

Earlier, the Maoists were taking a portion of the tax collected by the DDC. The contracts given by the DDC were cancelled after the Maoists issued a separate tender notice.

The local body lost more than Rs 30 lakh revenue in the month of Shrawan after the Maoists began collecting tax by issuing a tender notice for contracts in local bodies. The staff of the municipalities today stopped tax-collection after the Maoists and parties failed to agree on the matter.

Acting executive officer at Damak municipality, Mahendra Basnet, said that the staff had been collecting tax from the local livestock market, other markets and vehicles. The Maoists’ contact office at Damak said that the Maoists have given almost all contracts in Damak from today. Sources said Maoists are collecting tax in Bhadrapur and Mechinagar municipalities.