Truck owners threaten to block NH 62 and 37

Truck owners today sought to call an indefinite bandh to block National Highway 62 and 37 connecting Meghalaya and Assam demanding that both the state government's take action against 'excessive illegal toll collection' at several unauthorised gates erected along the road.
"We have decided to call for an indefinite bandh on coal carrying vehicles on the NH 62 and 37 connecting Shallang in West Khasi Hills - Hahim via Boko, in protest against the illegal collection of money from coal truckers and traders by illegal unauthorised toll gates set up along the two national highways," Goalpara District Truck Owners' Association (GDTOA) president A K Hussain told reporters here.

The truck owners claimed to have also submitted memoranda to both the Chief Minister of Assam and Meghalaya besides other officials demanding immediate action against the illegal collection.
"If the governments failed to take immediate steps to ensure that these illegal collections are stopped, the association will take its next course of action by blocking the movement of the vehicles carrying diesel, petrol, kerosene and gas cylinder from February 24, for an indefinite period," the president said.
He said the decision was also taken following the failure of the district administrations in the Garo Hills region and Assam's Goalpara district to take legal action on the matter despite repeated appeals and representation that were made earlier.

According to him, out of the 5000 trucks from Assam, over 500 trucks are plying over the National Highway 62 in Garo Hills on a near daily basus.
"All these truckers have been subjected to the illegal collection of money by personnel manning unauthorised toll gates which were set up by government, police, district council (GHADC) and others," he alleged.
The association has also threatened to take up the matter at the Centre to demand for a CBI probe into the illegal collections if the state governments refuse to take necessary steps to address the problem.