By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 19: The UDP on Sunday asked the state government to take proactive steps and close down all the illegal toll gates along the state and national highways.
Insisting that he is reiterating the state government’s stand on closing down the illegal toll gates, UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said: “The DC of East Khasi Hills issued a notification and some of these toll gates were closed, I was told. The former CEM of KHADC also issued a statement, saying that all the toll gates closed during his tenure have come up again.”
He wondered why the illegal toll gates could not be removed when the KHADC also committed to shutting them down. “It cannot be a state of lawlessness,” he said.
The KHADC had earlier said it would not hesitate to shut down any toll gate if it is found collecting taxes illegally. This was in reference to a check post at Umdihar, Ri-Bhoi, which was found collecting taxes illegally from vehicles operated by non-tribal people.
Last week, the Meghalaya Commercial Truck Owners & Drivers Association (MCTO&DA) urged the West Khasi Hills deputy commissioner, Garod LSN Dykes to take action against such illegal toll and check gates.
MCTO&DA president Mosklandar Marngar said these toll gates are erected within the jurisdiction of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and the Himas. He also warned the state government that the members of the association would be forced to take matters into their own hands if action against these unauthorised toll gates is not taken.
“Everybody says illegal toll gates do not augur well for our state and impact the prices of goods and commodities. The government has to act firmly,” he said, adding that the Truck Owners & Drivers’ Association in West Khasi Hills has also raised the issue.
“Anything illegal should not be tolerated and our angst should not be construed as being anti-government,” Mawthoh said.