Shillong, Feb 24 : The Nongalbibra Coal Merchants Association and the Meghalaya Commercial Truck Owners Association have threatened to launch an agitation if the government did not take steps to stop rampant extortion along the national highways.
Those who man the checkgates, toll gates and weigh bridges leased out to them by the Meghalaya government and district councils on National Highway 62 often resort to illegal collection of money from truckers.
The 80-km stretch of the highway connects East and South Garo Hills.
The president of the Nongalbibra Coal Merchants Association, Kennedy Marak, told reporters that for every trip, a coal-laden truck has to pay at least Rs 1,000 each to the 29 illegal checkgates from Nongalbibra to Dainadubi.
Marak said those who man the checkgates do not even give receipts, indicating that these collections are illegal.
He added that during President’s rule last year, the police had dismantled all the illegal checkgates in Meghalaya, according to the order of Governor R.S. Mooshahary.
The merchants’ association alleged that the nexus of politician and businessmen with those who man the checkgates is evident, as the government is not keen to dismantle the illegal checkgates.
The association said several private groups have also set up illegal checkgates in Garo hills.
Marak said the association had no problem with the state government if it erected legal checkgates at the entry and exit points on NH62.
He said according to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the state government cannot appoint a private operator to install a weigh bridge.
Meghalaya Commercial Truck Owners and Operators Association president Augustine Shanpru said the Northeast Truckers Association would meet in Shillong on March 1 to decide its future course of action.
The merchants’ association said though the official and permissible limit is 15 metric tonnes of coal per truck, the truckers are compelled to carry additional 10 metric tonnes of coal to keep the margin of profit, as they have to shell out huge amounts at the checkgates.
After the Goalpara District Truck Owners Association took up the matter with the government, chief minister D.D. Lapang constituted a committee to look into it.
However, no decision has been arrived at.
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