SHILLONG, June 17: Despite several instances of extortion exposed along the highways of Meghalaya, there seems to be no letup in such illegal practices targeting the truck drivers.
Rajesh Rawani, a truck driver-YouTuber with a fanbase of 2.41 million subscribers, showed in his recent vlog on Meghalaya how truck drivers have to pay the police in the state at different check gates.
He showcased the amazing greenery of Meghalaya during his voyage from Ri-Bhoi to a cement factory in the East Jaintia Hills district.
In the vlog, he also said a common truck driver has to shell out Rs 1,750 for a single trip.
“My total police kharcha (expenditure) from Chhattisgarh to Meghalaya was Rs 2,550, and out of that the police kharcha along a 200-km road in Meghalaya was Rs 1,750,” he said.
He also said in his vlog that he was stopped at different check gates along the National Highway in Meghalaya via the Shillong Bypass to Jowai and was charged Rs 50 to Rs 100. “At some weighbridges, I was even asked to give Rs 500,” the YouTuber said.
“Wherever they raised their hands, we stopped, and we had to give money. No point in fighting or running away,” he said.
In the vlog, he also showed a receipt of Rs 200 issued by an authorised agent of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council for detecting illegal trading by non-tribal commercial vehicles.
The vlog, which was uploaded on YouTube seven days ago, has already garnered 454,000 views. The link to the video was also shared with Meghalaya DGP Idashisha Nongrang for her comments. She did not react till the filing of this report
Rajesh is a truck driver from Jamtara, Jharkhand, who gained fame as a YouTuber under the name ‘R. Rajesh Vlogs’. He initially earned Rs 25,000-30,000 per month as a truck driver. He then transitioned into a successful food vlogger, documenting his travels and cooking on his YouTube channel. His online earnings have significantly surpassed his truck driving income, touching Rs 10 lakh in some months.
