Coordinator of Naya Shakti Party-Nepal Baburam Bhattarai has criticised the local units for imposing “unnecessarily” high tax on people.

“Following the suit of central level leaders of exploiting the state for their personal benefit, the people’s representatives are collecting unnecessary taxes to purchase luxurious goods,” Bhattarai told the Post during a visit to his home district Gorkha on Saturday.

Stating that some rural municipalities are found to be charging between Rs1,000 and Rs1,500 for issuing birth registration, the former prime minister claimed that imposing such tax is against the spirit of federalism.

He, however, argued that despite some drawbacks, the federal ruling system—established after long struggle—does not have any alternative in the country. In another context, Bhattarai came down heavily against the government for putting handcuffs to Khadka Bishwokarma, Spokesperson of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal. Police recently arrested Bishwokarma in the Capital on the extortion charge. He was in handcuffs while police presented him at the court. “Political force should be treated in a political way,” he said, adding the government had failed to work as per the people’s expectations. (PR)