‘Extortion’ vexes travellers along GS Road at Jorabat

SHILLONG, Oct 3: Far away from the tall claims made in the Secretariat that everything is in order in Meghalaya, instances of illegalities continue being reported from different parts of the state.
This time around, a group of youths were seen collecting money from travellers on the busy Guwahati-Shillong highway.
On Sunday night shortly after 12 am, a group of youths were standing on the National Highway in Jorabat and were charging money from travellers in the name of “gate tax”.
A couple of journalists were en route to Shillong from Guwahati on Sunday night normally until they crossed Jorabat.
On reaching Jorabat, a group of youths in an inebriated condition and armed with sticks shouted at the driver to stop the vehicle.
The driver obliged and stopped the vehicle.
As soon as the vehicle stopped, 3-4 youths appeared from both the sides and questioned the journos for travelling on a supposed ‘no entry’ route; which actually is a national highway.
The youths asserted that they could not ply on the highway as the Shnong has imposed a no-entry order. When queried how such an order can be imposed on a national highway, the extortionists said the travellers would have to follow their diktat or pay Rs 100 as “gate tax”.
Asked about the Shnong, they refused to answer.
Avoiding any escalation of the situation, the journalists onboard the vehicle paid Rs 100 and left the scene. The Ri Bhoi Police was verbally informed about the incident but no official complaint was lodged.
It is pertinent to note here that the road is used by hundreds of vehicles and trucks every night. If youths are running such an extortion programme, there is a possibility that money was collected from other vehicles and trucks which ply on the said road at night.
Notably, there was hardly any night patrolling by the police on the highway. Along the long stretch of 70 km of expressway, only one police vehicle was seen standing at Umsning Bypass junction with several trucks around it.