From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN: The recent order given by the Deputy Commissioner, West Khasi Hills (DC, WKH) to check overloading and prevent trucks from carrying more than 9 tons in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling has come a cropper with trucks violating the orders blatantly especially in coal mining areas.
The order to check overloading of trucks is also due to the worsening road condition in West Khasi Hills
On Tuesday at Shallang, WKH, the hub of coal trading activities it was found that trucks carried between 28-30 tons in complete violation of the DC’s orders and also that of the Supreme Court, as there was no checking by the district administration.
The question being raised is why the district administration is checking only those trucks passing through Nongstoin and Riangdo while turning a blind eye to Shallang. This has affected the coal traders in some areas and not in others.
As a result all coal trucks are now taking the Shallang-Nongshram route to pass to other districts.
Earlier, the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) had cracked down on overloaded trucks plying from Shallang via Riangdo to Athiabari. The truck drivers were co-operating and no trucks were overloaded, but the trucks moving from Shallang are found to be overloaded.
Trucks plying from Shallang to Rongjeng – Dudhnai are plying freely without being checked by government officials or NGOs. This has made the trucks drivers suspect some foul play.
ILL-TIMED SHOWERS: Owing to the ill-timed showers in the past couple of days and the miserable road conditions, trucks that normally ply from Riangdo to Athiabari have been stranded in Riangdo. The sorry state of the roads here has made them impossible to ply on. Altogether about 50 trucks were stranded. Trucks that had come from Shallang on the 13th of April were still halting at Riangdo causing loss to the state exchequer and the truckers. It may be mentioned that many NGOs had voiced their protest and memorandum after memorandum was submitted to the Government for early completion of the roads in this region but all their pleas and suggestions have fallen on deaf ears. The condition of the roads continue are appalling said the coal traders. The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) Mawshynrut circle recently met the Chief Engineer PWD (R) and gave a deadline of one week for immediate repairing of the said road. The deadline has ended without any result from the PWD or any follow up action from the KSU