By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 15: The United Democratic Party (UDP) has asked the state government and the KHADC to take prompt action and close down the illegal toll gates operating in Meghalaya.
“How can we just collect money by putting gates everywhere? All these illegal gates should be removed. These are affecting everything,” UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said.
“The government should act on any direction that may have come to stop these illegalities,” he said.
Stating that if the Conrad K Sangma government has written to the district council, he said it is the latter’s responsibility to comply as keeping quiet shows the state in a bad light.
The UDP general secretary said money collected illegally from goods-carrying vehicles leads to price rise, making the common people suffer. “If you tax me, I will tax the consumers. It is as simple as that,” he added.
On January 18, District Council Affairs secretary, Aldealyne Nikhla wrote to the secretary of the KHADC’s 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 and state highways and 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.
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 the Chief Minister with the representatives of the two councils in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.
The district administration had shut down the check gate at Umdihar, allegedly operated by the KHADC, following complaints by truckers that the gate was illegally collecting money from trucks entering the state from outside.
The KHADC’s Chief Executive Member Pyniaid Sing Syiem said the council has directed all the lessees who have been issued show-cause notices to reply within two weeks. He admitted that the operational toll gates belong to the KHADC.