SHILLONG: Goalpara District Truck Owner’s Association (GTOA) on Monday asked the Meghalaya Government to take tolls as prescribed along the NH 62 where many tollgates are collecting huge amount of money from the truckers who ply on the road.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, president of the association Raijuddin Ahmed said, “We request Meghalaya Government to take tolls as prescribed or else we will die as our earnings will be affected.”
Stating that only one weighbridge needs to function along the highway, the Association rued that three weighbridges exist along the highway where they have to shell out huge amount of money instead of the prescribed rate.
The Association demanded that the State Government must close down other weighbridges and only one weighbridges should operate along the highway.
According to Ahmed, some parking lots are also situated along the National Highway and the truckers are forced to enter the parking lot and again they have to pay huge amount of money which they cannot afford.
He stated they are never issued receipts by the toll gates and parking lots even as the Association demanded for an immediate closure of such amenities on the road that has come up only with the intention of making quick money, adding he said that only Government gates issue them receipts.
He also asserted that there are altogether eleven illegal toll gates where they have to pay any amount between Rs 100-200 and in one of the toll gates at Dobu, the truckers are forced to pay a whopping amount of Rs 1200.
Earlier, another association known as Goalpara Truck Owner’s Association (GTOA) had threatened to withdraw the services of trucks carrying fuel and LPG cylinders into Meghalaya if the State Government refrained from taking action against flourishing “illegal toll gates” along NH-62 in Garo Hills within seven days.
However, Goalpara District Truck Owner’s Association slammed the association saying it is an illegal committee and they have also filed a court case against the “illegal” committee at Goalpara Court.
Goalpara District Truck Owner’s Association leaders also asserted that they are not supporting any agitations of the other committees even as they informed that now some vehicles are plying to Garo Hills and they are trying to see that all vehicles carrying essential commodities as well coal ply to Garo Hills without any problems.
It is learnt that every day around 600 trucks from Assam enter and leave Meghalaya carrying essential commodities and coal.
