SHILLONG, Jan 20: The Goalpara District Coal Exporters and Trucks Owners Associations has petitioned Chief Minister Conrad Sangma urging him to take action against ‘syndicates’ operating in Meghalaya which have caused severe hardship for the coal truckers as well as exporters.
The association alleged said that an amount of Rs 1.28 lakh has to be paid as “syndicates and musclemen tax” per trip for a truck in the state. The association said that such ‘extortion’ of money has hampered and paralysed the free business of coal merchants and the entire coal transportation system. According to association, mineral transport challan/ P Form racket and black marketing system has also paralysed the coal merchants’ business.