Shillong, Jul 22 (UNI) Former Union Minister and Shillong MP Vincent Pala on Thursday raised the issue of weighbridges in Meghalaya during the ongoing parliamentary session, has demanded of the Meghalaya government to shut-down all illegal weighbridges on National Highway 6 in the State.
The demand for removal of these weighbridges followed after Union Minister of Road Transports
and Highways, Nitin Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha that just one out of the five had the approval of the Central Government and the rest have so far not been granted “access permission.”
The weighbridge-cum-check post along Jowai-Ratacherra at Umtyra village is the only one that has been granted access permission by the Union Ministry of Road Transports and Highways.
However, four other weighbridges and check gates on the same NH have not been granted
access permission, Gadkari said.
“The government must close down these illegal weighbridges. How can the State government run these weighbridges without permission from the National Highways Authority,” Pala questioned on
the basis of Gadkari’s revelations.
The veteran Congress parliamentarian said these weighbridges are collecting double taxes from
the truckers who ply from all over the country.
“At the entry point and the exit point of the state, truckers have to pay. Isn’t this one illegal?
Therefore, the government must shutdown these illegal weighbridges,” Pala demanded.
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