SHILLONG: There is opposition to the new policy of the MDA government to set up random weighbridges against the wish of the Supreme Court to set up Integrated Check Posts (ICPs).
The president of the Association of Meghalaya Traders and Transporters, Enrico D Pasi, on Sunday petitioned Chief Minister Conrad Sangma that despite the fear of mushrooming of weighbridges, surprisingly the present government came up with a new Meghalaya State Policy for Weighbridges, 2018, which is contrary to the direction of the apex court and is nothing but a means for reversal of the situation to the old days of highway extortion once there are multiple check stations along the highway.
The association has asked the government to recall the policy of 2018 and promote stress-free highways with fewer check stations for cheaper cost of transportation of goods across Meghalaya.
Pasi said earlier the issue of illegal weighbridges was raised before the Gauhati High Court and the state government in 2010 had banned extortions at multiple weighbridges.
“The government should go for a solution that will be long term and refrain from reverting back to the old days of rampant checking and extortion on highways,” Pasi said.
The association stressed the need for ICPs.
According to Pasi, ICPs being government establishments should not be run by private parties. “The government should either buy land for that purpose or take private land on long-term lease for setting up of check posts,” he said.
Pasi said a proper plan and estimates should be prepared by the government on the location, area of land required, number of buildings for each department required, official quarters for officers posted at the check post, number of weighbridges to be installed, CCTV cameras, computers, store house for confiscated goods, place for unloading overloaded minerals, parking place for seized goods-laden trucks, office stationeries and infrastructure required for integrated check posts.
“Confiscated trucks should not be parked on the highway and overloaded minerals should not be offloaded on the highway,” he added.
The association said ICPs are the need of the hour as they will reduce the number of illegal weighbridges, extortion and frequent stoppage of goods-laden trucks along the highway.
Pasi said the government will also earn revenue from the ICPs. “Once ICPs are constructed, the government should man and run them and should not allow private parties to run such establishments.”
“At present, all individual departments’ check posts are manned and run by government officials, including those of the Transport Department,” he reminded.
