Shillong, March 23: The KHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM), Titosstarwell Chyne on Thursday made it clear that the council is against the operation of any illegal toll gates.
The CEM made this remark after the HYNF East Khasi Hills had given a one-week deadline to close down all the illegal toll gates operated by the Council.
“We are still examining the matter. We will also be discussing this issue in the Executive Committee (EC) meeting to be held next week. We will take necessary action once we have discussed the matter in the EC,” Chyne said while speaking to reporters.
When asked about the letter written by the District Council Affairs (DCA) department to the Council in January this year on the same issue, he said that he had asked the various concerned departments including Revenue and Forest department to submit a report in connection with the toll gates being operated by the Council.
“We will discuss the report submitted by the various departments in the EC meeting. We will respond to the letter of the DCA following this meeting,” the KHADC CEM.
Chyne also assured that necessary action will be taken as per various provisions of the law if there are illegal toll gates being operated by the council.
He also stated that he would be in a better position to reply to this issue once the matter is discussed in the EC meeting.
Earlier, DCA secretary, A. Nikhla on January 18 wrote to the secretary of the KHADC Executive Committee regarding the re-opening of the check gates within the territory of the council.
Nikhla pointed out that the installation of toll gates on the national highways, state highways and major district roads requires NOC from the designated authority in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the state government respectively.
She said the requirement should be followed particularly in view of the pending cases – Arsteplang Kharbhih versus the state of Meghalaya and the JHADC versus the state of Meghalaya – before the high court on the collection of tolls.
On March 17, the East Khasi Hills unit of the HNYF gave the KHADC a week’s deadline to close down 18 toll gates it was operating illegally.
The unit’s president, Bless Dkhar told reporters that the KHADC has been operating these toll gates without obtaining the necessary NOC from the National Highway Authority of India and the state government.
He accused the council of operating these toll gates despite two pending litigations in the High Court of Meghalaya on the collection of tolls.
“We will be writing to the chief secretary and the deputy commissioners for the closure of these 18 tolls if the KHADC fails to comply with our one-week deadline. We will close down these toll gates on our own if the authorities fail to take action,” Dkhar said.
In June 2022, the state government directed the KHADC and the JHADC to immediately shut down all the toll gates set up by them on the national highways and state roads.
This decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma with the representatives of the two councils in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.
