SHILLONG, June 28: Jaintia Hills truck owners are being forced to choose between paying a mandatory “felicitation fee” for Deputy CM Sniawbhalang Dhar or losing their right to operate, as transport associations weaponise loading slips to ensure a full house for a July 1 event.
A directive issued by the Joint Action Committee (JAC)—comprising the East Jaintia Hills Truck Owners and Transporters Association (EJHTOTA) and the Jaintia Hills Truck Owners Association (JHTOA)—has sparked outrage by demanding Rs 1,000 from every registered truck owner.
The funds are purportedly for a programme at the State Central Library to thank the Deputy CM and government officials for the One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme, a tax amnesty initiative for commercial vehicles.
The “invitation” carries heavy penalties for non-compliance. According to the JAC’s ultimatum, any truck owner who fails to pay the fee will be denied loading slips until the amount is cleared.
Furthermore, the associations have mandated that at least one representative from every truck must attend the Shillong event. Failure to show up will result in a six-month suspension of the truck’s operations. To enforce this, organisers announced that attendance will be recorded twice during the programme.To ensure no member is working instead of attending, the associations have also declared that no loading slips will be issued on July 1.
Truck owners, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the move as a “shakedown,” questioning why a government-notified tax relief scheme is being used as a pretext to extort money and force political optics. While the OTS scheme was designed to help owners clear long-pending penalties, the JAC’s enforcement tactics have instead created a climate of fear, effectively holding the livelihoods of transporters hostage to ensure a successful turnout for the Deputy CM.
