SHILLONG: Ri Bhoi police has said it is not feasible to stop every truck which is plying and open its tarpaulin to check if illegal coal is being transported since the trucks ply in a busy highway and a VIP road.
Ri Bhoi SP, C. Cyrti on Tuesday said that police will continue with its checking round the clock but it is not feasible to check each and every truck by opening its tarpaulin or else there will be heavy traffic snarl.
Stating that police have detected many coal trucks plying through the internal roads of Ri Bhoi district, he added that the district has many internal roads which connect Meghalaya to Assam.
“The allegations are wrong and false and we cannot believe that hundreds of trucks will pass through the district carrying coal,” he said
Ri Bhoi district is the last exit point but we always get the blame,” he said.
He also informed that an NGT constituted check gate has been setup up at Umsaw and the gate checks the trucks besides there is another government check gate at Umling.
“It does not stand to reason that such a large number of coal laden trucks will pass through Ri Bhoi district unnoticed by various police stations and out posts and secondly, if Rs 60/70 thousands are paid per truck to the agents for its safe passage as alleged in the news report, then how would it be feasible from the business point of view,” the SP said.
Cyrti maintained that these trucks do not originate from Ri Bhoi district as they reach Ri Bhoi from other districts.
“One wonders as to how they remain undetected in these districts, he said, adding the entire episode of allegation is based on one incident only i.e. two coal laden trucks overturned in the district,” he said.
He also said magistrates, DMR and transport department should also be involved in checking illegal coal trucks.
