Truckers’ body dismisses claims, claim they have to
pay Rs 300 in the day and around Rs 1,000 at night
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 24: The state government on Friday asserted that illegal toll gates have ceased to operate on the state and national highways.
“It does not continue now. We have already stopped and we have instructed specifically to all the DCs to close down all illegal toll gates. They have done that across the entire state,” Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said.
However, the government’s claims were short-lived as the Meghalaya Commercial Truck Owners & Drivers Association (MCTO&DA) claimed that illegal toll gates were still in operation.
MCTO&DA president Moskalander Marngar claimed that 30 odd toll gates of the council are currently in operation, but these do not collect any fixed amount from trucks. He claimed truckers are asked to pay Rs 300 during the day but the amount goes up to Rs 1,000 at night.
He alleged that the truckers are being exploited. He said even after paying at the toll gate run by the KHADC, they are forced to pay at the toll gate of the Hima Mylliem.
MCTO&DA also told the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) that the Association will not pay at any of the toll gates of the council until it finalises the working plan with the state government.
After meeting KHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Pyniaid Sing Syiem at his chamber on Friday, Marngar told reporters the KHADC is expected to finalise the working plan within December.
“We have told the CEM that we are not going to pay, for we don’t know which toll gates are legal or illegal. Let the council share with us the working plan after it is finalised. Only then that we are going to pay,” Marngar said.
“How can the Hima Mylliem, which is under the jurisdiction of the council, operate its own toll gate? It looks like there is a syndicate operating these toll gates,” the MCTO&DA president said.
Meanwhile, Syiem said he has sought a report from the secretary of the Executive Committee (EC) on the list of toll gates of the council.
He said the MCTO&DA aired its grievances on the presence of the various toll gates of the council.
“We took over the EC of the council on June 26. But normally, the lease agreement of the toll gates is renewed on April 1. Therefore, it will be difficult for the present EC to clearly provide the total number of toll gates of the council that are in operation,” he said.
Assuring that the new EC will take all possible steps to ensure that no illegal toll gates are allowed to operate, he said they are on the job to prepare the working plan which is to be submitted to the state government. This pertains to the setting up of the toll gates of the council.
“We will clearly mention under which provisions we are empowered to set up toll gates. We will finalise the working plan by December,” Syiem 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.