NCP legislator raps govt over ‘illegal’ check gates

SHILLONG, July 26: Coming down hard on the Meghalaya government in the recent days with a barrage of criticisms, lone Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Saleng Sangma has now highlighted the alleged functioning of illegal check gates in the state, while asserting that if unchecked, these will lead to corruption and anti-social activities in the state.
The MLA had earlier sought the removal of Transport Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar and demanded a CBI probe into the alleged illegal operation of weighbridges along National Highway-6 and action against those officials involved in the illegal activity.
“If you entertain illegal check gates, you are also going to allow corruption to take place within the state. If you cannot check this, you will be inviting and entertaining all the illegal activities and anti-social elements to enter the state,” he asserted, adding that there is revenue leakage as a result of operation of such illegal check gates.
A row had sparked earlier after Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, made a statement in a written reply to Lok Sabha that several weighbridges operated by the Meghalaya government on National Highway-6 were illegal.
Claims of the Union minister were, however, refuted by Transport Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, who countered them by stating that all weighbridges in Meghalaya are legal as they have been notified under a weighbridge policy.
However, NCP legislator Saleng Sangma, on Monday, pressed the state Transport minister to suspend officers who provided the information to the Union minister, if he thinks that wrong information was furnished on the floor of the House, even as he maintained that the information on the alleged illegal weighbridges reached Gadkari from Meghalaya itself.
“Such erring officers should be suspended and action must be taken against them as such accusations have embarrassed our Transport minister and the entire state,” the NCP MLA said.
He had even said that Sniawbhalang Dhar should ask the state MPs to move a motion against the Union minister, if he thinks that the latter misinformed the House.
Asked to comment on the frequent accusations of manipulations and illegalities in different departments, the NCP legislator said the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance needs to take the matter seriously and bring discipline within the departments as, he feels, there are many loopholes.