DOUBLE-TAX ON JUTE

Double-taxation on jute products still persists

Violating the memo issued by the district magistrate to the Regulated Market Committee (RMC) requesting them not to collect market fee over jute products the latter are still trying to collect the fee from the lorries of jute units. On Thursday they detained three lorries at Ghoksadanga and Akrahat and demanded fees. The lorries were going to Raigarh, Khurja and Kolar from two factories situated at Chakchaka Industrial Growth Centre in Cooch Behar. The local managements of the Essem Jute Industries Limited and Kamakshi Jute Industries Limited reported the matter to the district magistrate on Friday.

When asked, the additional district magistrate (development) Mr Sudip Mitra said on Saturday that following the complaints received they issued instruction to set the detained lorries free. The problem will be officially sorted out in a meeting that to be held on Monday, Mr Mitra said.

Secretary of Cooch Behar District Merchants' Chamber of Commerce (CDMCC) Mr Rajendra Kumar Baid submitted a memorandum to the DM protesting the detention of the lorries at the RMC tollgates by violating the DM's order. If the managements of the two jute units decide to stop production and close down their units then the RMC will be responsible for the unfortunate matter. Who will take the responsibility of the 3,000 jobless workers, he questioned.

Condemning RMC's role the president of Cooch Behar District Trinamul Congress Mr Rabindranath Ghosh demanded winding up of all the tollgates of the RMC. The gates are nothing but centres of unscrupulous collection of money, he said. As result of collection of taxes on agricultural produces the cultivators are the actual sufferers, he said. Taxes are being paid for three times on jute, he believes.

It may be recalled here that in April, the managements of Essem and Kamakshi jute units had sent memorandums to the state chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. They conveyed him that they buy raw jute by paying regulated marketing tax but during transportation of finished products outside of the district they have to pay tax for the second time. The authorities of the two jute units appealed the CM to save them from paying of double-tax. Receiving no positive response against their appeal they had to announce that they might stop production in their units at Chakchaka.

Secretary of CDMCC too conveyed the problem to the CM, the state industries minister and even to the Union railway minister Miss Mamata Banerjee. Mr Baid argued that forcing the units to pay double-tax was illegal.

On 1 July, issuing a memo bearing memo no. Dev/470(2) the DM of Cooch Behar Ms Smaraki Mahapatra asked the chairman and the secretary of the Cooch Behar RMC to temporarily stop the collection of market fee over jute products that are being manufactured by the Essem and other manufacturing units of jute products situated in Cooch Behar regulated market area. Explaining the reason the DM mentioned that it appeared to her that 'there remains some prima-facie reason to believe that such type of realisation of fees may not be proper as per the West Bengal Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act 1972.'

The memo failed to evoke positive response from the RMC and detention of lorries loaded with jute products continued at RMC tollgates for want of taxes. About 3,000 workers of the two jute units are once again suffering from fear of being jobless if the discontent managements actually close their manufacturing units. 

SFI observes 45th anniversary of Chhatra Sangram

The Students' Federation of India observed the 45-th anniversary of its Bengali mouthpiece Chhatra Sangram at a convention organised at Rabindra Bhavan in Cooch Behar on Saturday. Student-delegates from all the six districts of North Bengal attended the programme. Earlier, a similar programme was held for students from south Bengal districts at Kolkata on 15 June.

State industries minister Mr Nirupam Sen was the chief speaker at the convention. He called upon the students and all others to come forward to protest the bid to make education a mere commodity. It is time to change the aim of education to make the world better. The students should dedicate them for the welfare of the society leaving the recent-growing self-centric attitude among the people, he said. Forest minister Mr Ananta Roy, general secretary of the SFI Mr Writabrata Bannerjee, state unit secretary Mr Kaustuv Chatterjee and editor of Chhatra Sangram Mr Anirban Hazra were among the other speakers in the convention.