By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 18: The allegations of the operationalisation of illegal tollgates in Ri-Bhoi district have once again resurfaced, with the Meghalaya Commercial Truck Owners and Drivers Association (MCTO&DA) raising serious concerns over the re-emergence of these gates, which they say are causing significant difficulties for truckers.
At a meeting held on Friday at Hollywood Hall in Laitkor, the association discussed the increasing harassment faced by drivers transporting essential commodities, especially after the ban on movement through the Umiam bridge.
Speaking to reporters, MCTO&DA president Moskalander Marngar said these toll gates, which have resurfaced across the district, are illegally extorting money from truckers.
He informed that the association will soon write to the Ri-Bhoi district administration, urging it to take immediate action against these illegal toll collection points.
Meanwhile, the association president also criticised leaders of a similar association in Jaintia Hills for allegedly spreading confusion regarding the transportation of coke in the region.
The association’s chief adviser, Snem Kyndait, said that truck drivers in Jaintia Hills have decided to form a separate forum, specifically to handle issues related to coke transportation.
He added that they have resolved to forward the registration numbers of trucks involved in the transportation of coal to the respective coke companies.
Last month, Shillong MP Rick AJ Syngkon had expressed his opposition to illegal toll gates, which are involved in illegal collection.
He had argued that while the VPP acknowledges the need for toll gates for tax collection and revenue generation, establishment of these gates should be done according to the law and cannot be illegal.
He also expressed concern over the government weighbridges in Jaintia Hills, which are allegedly involved in illegal collection.
In May, the Ri-Bhoi District Administration, accompanied by police personnel, had shut down and sealed an illegal toll gate that had been re-established at Umdihar along National Highway-6.