One time payment. The Transport Department may have its reasons to come out with the order that all commercial vehicles should pay their taxes at a go, but this has obviously not gone down well with the JAC of All Manipur (Under Five Ton) Passenger Service and the result is there for all to see. With diesel autos, petrol autos, Tata Magic, Winger etc staying off the road for the third consecutive day, it is the small time traders who have been hit the most. Maybe the Transport Department forgot or did not bother to understand the service rendered by these vehicles but the result is there for all to see. Wonder how long the strike will continue but if one goes by what the JAC has had to say then the strike will continue until and unless the Government wakes up to the reality and roll back its earlier order. More than apparent that the order was issued without doing the necessary homework. Moreover what stopped the Government from discussing its plans with the transporters or the JAC before coming out with the order ? Remember a one time payment means a burden on the transporters and it definitely will not be easy for all of them to cough up the amount easily. Moreover it is also essential to keep in mind that most of the passenger service vehicles must have been bought after taking loans from the banks. So apart from paying the EMIs to the banks, burdening the transporters with one time payment of taxes will not go down well with the transporters.
This is also the opportune moment for all to seriously study whether all have been faithfully paying their taxes to the Government on time. Maybe the JAC may step in here and ensure that all pay their taxes in time and diligently. A one time payment means that defaulters will be easy to identify and this will make the task of the Transport Department all that easier. However this alone cannot be the parameter for imposing a directive such as one time payment of taxes. The Government is there for the welfare of the people and imposing such a huge amount on the small time transporters does not come anywhere being a welfare State. As a Government which is there for the people, it is expected that it applies its mind to all possible ramifications and surely imposing a one time tax on commercial vehicles says that the Government failed to apply its mind. Moreover the Government should not overlook the service rendered by the transporters. It is the movement of the vehicles which is feeding a number of families and this should be understood not only with reference to the families of the transporters and the drivers and helpers of the vehicles but also the small time traders who travel all the way to Imphal daily to sell their produce. A pity it is that this reality blew over the heads of the Government.
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