JOWAI: Blame it on excess transportation of coal from Meghalaya to Bangladesh via Tamabil and Dawki, both the state government and the West Jaintia Hills and East Khasi hills districts have to incur substantial loss in terms of revenue collection.
Coal-laden trucks carry 25 to 28 metric tonnes, much beyond the permissible capacity of 9 metric tonnes.
The trucks are allowed to pass through the weighbridge by Amsarin Weighbridge staff as well as officials of the transport department deployed at the weighbridge to check the load capacity.
This correspondent on Thursday witnessed that all the trucks were allowed to pass despite the fact that they were carrying load much more than the permissible limit.
Some local youths and even NGO leaders are helping truckers pass through the weighbridge by charging Rs 4,500 to Rs 5,000 from each vehicle.
Each truck carries a minimum of 16 metric tonnes of coal and the tax that ought to be paid to the government is Rs 1,160 per metric tonne. For 16 metric tonnes the tax, including royalty, is Rs 18,560.
Now, if the number of trucks transporting coal to Tamabil is, say, 300, these vehicles carry about 4,800 metric tonnes per day, which means the government loses Rs 55.6 lakh per day!
Sources informed that every day about 600 hundred trucks transport coal to Bangladesh carrying quantities much beyond the permissible limit, which means the state government is losing revenue to the tune of Rs 1 crore every day!
The exact number of trucks crossing over to Bangladesh can be obtained from the customs office at Dawki. However, the customs officer was not available for comment when contacted.
Sources informed that coal traders carry three trucks of coal but after crossing the Sohkha Weighbridge, they unload the coal near DMR office at Dawki and the unloaded coal is again reloaded in one truck to enter Bangladesh in order to save two transit challans.
The same is true of traders transporting coal from the East Khasi Hills.
They transport coal to Dawki in a small truck and the same is unloaded near DMR office and later reloaded in a truck to be carried to Tamabil in Bangladesh without any challan.
Sources informed that the custom office signs the transport documents based on the slips issued by the transport department. Weighbridge operators and officials of the transport department deployed at the weighbridge are making a fast buck with local youths and NGOs playing the role of facilitators or middlemen.
“The transport department and the district administration should address the issue seriously so that such leakage of revenue can be controlled,” said a resident of Dawki.
