Eliminate all check gates in state, party demands
SHILLONG, May 20: As Meghalaya continues to grapple with soaring prices of essential commodities, the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has issued a no-holds-barred demand for the elimination of all check gates across the state, linking their functioning to the inflation in state.
KHNAM working president Thomas Passah on Tuesday slammed the continued existence of ‘illegal and redundant’ toll gates — particularly those manned by district councils and traditional bodies — despite clear legal precedents against them.
“If you go by rulings of the Supreme Court or the Gauhati High Court, it is clearly stated that there cannot be check gates on national highways. The state government has also expressed that such gates are not permitted even on state roads,” he said.
While these gates have long been dismissed as minor irritants, Passah directly linked them to the inflation burdening households across Meghalaya.
“The problem is when check gates are in place, they contribute to the rise in prices of essential commodities. If there are ten gates between Guwahati and Shillong, and each one collects Rs 200, you can imagine the final cost of the goods being transported,” he explained.
Highlighting the cascading effect on consumers, he added, “It’s not the truck drivers or the companies who pay at these gates — it’s the people who ultimately bear the cost, paying more for everyday essentials.”
Passah described how these gates have turned stretches of public roads into what he called “corridors of extortion.”
“This is unacceptable, and we have always maintained a clear stance on this. Check gates should be eliminated. We know there are gates operated by District Councils and Himas. For instance, near the industrial area, there is a forest gate run by the District Council, another one by Hima Mylliem, and yet another by the District Council—three gates within a radius of just ten meters. This is happening in multiple locations,” he said.
Worse still, Passah warned of increased harassment during the night.
“These gates harass motorists after dark. They become aggressive, chasing down vehicles and forcing them to pay. Maybe during the day they remain quiet, but at night, the situation turns threatening. This has to stop,” he urged.
He posed a question many have asked in frustration — why are market prices so high? His answer was pointed.
“People wonder why essential commodities cost so much in the market—it’s because money is being extorted on the highways. For a single bag of potatoes coming from Guwahati, transporters may have to shell out Rs 10,000 in tolls.
And where does that money come from? From the public, of course.”
Calling for structural reform, Passah reiterated, “To control the prices of essential and other commodities, these check gates must be eliminated, as already directed by the Supreme Court and the Guwahati High Court.”
His remarks come just days after the Ri-Bhoi district administration sealed an illegal toll gate at Umdihar along NH-6. The gate had quietly reappeared nearly two years after a similar one was removed in 2023. Allegedly set up under the current KHADC Executive Committee led by the Voice of the People’s Party (VPP), the gate had drawn public complaints for unauthorised toll collection — an indication that rogue toll operations persist even under official watch.
In a state where the price of a vegetable is often determined not by the soil it grows in but by the road it travels, KHNAM’s call is not just timely, it may well be essential.