SHILLONG: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday issued a notice to the State Government for allowing rampant flouting of the tribunal’s directions on weighbridges post mining ban.
The green tribunal was hearing a submission by the Meghalaya Commercial Truck Owners and Operators Association on Tuesday. The truckers’ body said in its submission that officers in the Transport Department defied orders and authorised private parties to issue weighment certificates to coal-laden trucks.
A. Shanpru, the president of the Association, said the tribunal had ordered that weighbridges installed after the ban on coal mining should be run by the government and no private entity should be allowed to run or issue weighment certificates.
The truck owners’ association said the order has been violated more than thrice. “The most glaring example of such insult to the NGT order was the recent authorisation by the Commissioner and Secretary of Transport to one of his clan members to issue weighment certificates to coal-laden trucks in East Jaintia Hills district,” said Shanpru and added that there is a collusion between the officials of the department and private parties who are running the weighbridges.
Pointing out that the State is losing on revenue due to such illegal practice, Shanpru said the State Government could have taken private weighbridges on lease and allowed its officials to operate those for verification of weights of coal-laden trucks.
“If this illegal authorisation to private parties is not stopped, we will be forced to submit before the tribunal to summon the officers concerned and depose before the tribunal,” he added. The tribunal took serious note of the matter and issued notice to the State asking why necessary actions should not be taken against the officers who are responsible for violating its orders. NGT has fixed March 10 as the date of hearing in the case. Shanpru said even judicial orders were violated by the officials of the Department.
