TURA, August 14: Citizens of Mahendraganj border town in South West Garo Hills are raising a strong protest against the continuing destruction of their roads being caused by overloaded boulder trucks which are allegedly encouraged by a defeated MLA candidate from the ruling party.
The construction of a new double lane highway (NH 51) running from Garobadha town all the way to Dalu via Mahendraganj town, a distance of 98.5 KM, was constructed and completed only just last year courtesy of the funding from the Asian Development Bank.
This new road has already begun opening up at several places and one of the prime causes has been attributed to the movement of hundreds of trucks laden with boulders that are brought from Bhutan and exported to neighbouring Bangladesh through the Garo Hills corridor.
According to locals, as soon as the road was completed, members of the Mahendraganj Export Association began operation by starting the exporting of boulders to the neighbouring country via through export points- Mahendraganj and Dalu.
As many as 200 trucks pass through the highway overloaded with boulders, as much as 30 metric tons per vehicle, everyday and with no weigh bridge the truckers are having a field day at the expense of the road which is getting further damaged.
Despite repeated complaints the district administration has been accused of being helpless because a politician connected to the government who was defeated in the assembly elections is running the show.
The locals have accused former NPP party candidate, Sanjay A Sangma@ Simjeng, who is the Secretary of the Mahendraganj Export Association of encouraging the plying of overloaded trucks.
“Each overloaded truck pays him Rs. 2000,” alleged one of the petitioners seeking action.
They lament that the people of Mahendraganj are facing the biggest misery as there is no one from authority ready to listen and act on their grievances.