Shillong, Aug 12: The Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) demanded the government to check coal laden trucks plying through Kynshi check post in West Khasi Hills as it did not tally with the total number of trucks verified at Umling check post.
According to the HNYF West zone President KS Rani it was informed that from January to June 2013, as many as 12,735 coal laden trucks were checked and verified at Kynshi check post, however, the number went down to 9826 when they reached Umling Check Post indicating that about 2909 coal laden trucks had diverted their route from West Khasi Hills to some other areas of the state.
Seeing that the tally of the trucks did not match the HNYF, filed an RTI Western Zone with the Directorate of Mineral Resources revealed that during the month of January, about 1692 trucks were checked at Kynshi check post but only 1514 passed through the Umling check post, in February, about 3142 trucks left West Khasi Hills but only 2843 were checked at Umling check post, in March, 3316 were verified at Kynshi check post, however, only 2925 reached Ri Bhoi, in April, 2190 left West Khasi Hills but only 1499 reached Ri Bhoi, in May, 1904 were verified at Kynshi check post, but only 856 were checked at Umling check post and in June, from the total of 491 trucks checked at Kynshi check post, only 189 were verified at Umling Check post.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, HNYF Western Zone President, KS Rani said “We made the calculation ourselves based the availability of the documents verifying the rate of each challan and the total number of trucks plying between these months. We, however, did not seek the exact amount; the government had collected in between these months.”
Informing that the trucks were checked based on the availability of the paid challan, Rani said that the paid challan worth Rs 6, 075 per truck however according to the calculations, it was found that the government’s exchequer is enriched by Rs 7, 73, 65 125 from these 12, 735 trucks between January and June.
The HNYF president also pointed out that as per the government’s notification, the revised rate of the security deposit on coal is Rs 1736 per truck load of coal not exceeding 9 MT and Rs 3664 per truck load of coal not exceeding 19 MT.
Meanwhile, the HNYF urged the government to re-open the Kynshi check post at the same time to set up a weigh bridge at Kynshi or Mairang to prevent trucks from carrying coal beyond the prescribed limit.(SP News)
