SHILLONG, July 23: Transport Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar on Friday claimed all weighbridges in Meghalaya are legal.
His assertion follows Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Nitin Gadkari’s statement that several weighbridges operated by the state government on National Highway 6 were illegal.
“This is not a new thing. All weighbridges in Meghalaya are legal because they have been notified under a weighbridge policy,” Dhar said.
Referring to the Meghalaya Weighbridge Policy, 2018, he said the Transport Department is the nodal department for the installation, maintenance and setting up of weighbridges in the state.
He said the department invites open tender whereby all stakeholders are given a fair chance to participate and bid to operate the weighbridges at the entry-exit points and at designated locations according to relevant notifications.
He said the state Transport Department is authorised by the Centre to implement the provisions of the CMV Act, 1988.
“Section 111 of the CMV Act permits the state government to make rules as required and Rules 113 and 114 permit only the Transport Department to make rules and set up weighbridges in the state for the purposes of carriage of permissible load,” he said, adding that the department would obtain clearance if the Centre says so.
“We will coordinate with the National Highways Authority of India,” he added.
He said the MORTH has also notified the different permissible loads that can be carried by different categories of goods-laden vehicles based on the number of axles and the penalties to be imposed on violators (Rs 20,000 for overloading plus Rs 2,000 per additional metric tonne of overload).
“The State Transport Department, therefore, has identified, tendered for and set up checkpoint-cum-integrated weighbridges on state roads to ensure that permissible load is carried by all goods vehicles that move from the state roads to the national highway,” Dhar said.
Insisting that the state government has been ensuring all goods vehicles carry the permissible load, he said: “The Transport Department while signing agreement with successful tenderers or licensees, ensure that they obtain permission from NHAI whenever required for the operation of the weighbridges.”
Incidentally, Dhar maintained that the Inter-State Bus Terminus at Mawlai Mawiong is ready and will start functioning as soon as possible.
“It is ready that is why the inauguration is taking place,” Dhar said, adding that there were a few pluses and minuses and workers were giving final touches.
He made it clear that after the inauguration of the ISBT by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, the Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC) would be shifted there immediately.
