ILLEGAL TAX BEING COLLECTED FROM VILLAGERS IN BTC AREA FOR USING BAMBOO BRIDGE TO CROSS RIVER

Guwahati, October 27, 2018:

A huge scam has taken place in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) area in Kokrajhar involving bamboo bridges.

As it has been alleged, a middleman involved in the construction of a bamboo bridge over the Gourang river at Kamala Chara Parghat is illegally collecting Rs 10 to Rs 15  as tax from each person and vehicle using the bridge to cross the river.

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It is to be mentioned that the Kokrajhar Development Block has already sanctioned an amount of Rs 15,000 for construction of the bamboo bridge under tender no. KDB/BTC/M-1/2018-19/1277.

However after receiving the tender, one Ibrahim Sheikh reportedly sold it to Ali Mandal for Rs 40,000 and told him that he can collect tax from the people crossing the bridge.

Meanwhile, Ali Mandal has claimed to have spent Rs 2 lakh in the construction of the bamboo bridge. In the tender order, effective July 1, 2018 to July 30, 2019, it is nowhere mentioned that it can be sold.

The local villagers are now questioning as to who has given authority to Ali Mandal to collect the tax and why no action has been taken against him by the BTC authorities.