SHILLONG, August 26: The Jaintia Hills Truck Owners Association (JHTOW) on Friday expressed that the new weighbridge set up by the state government in the premises of Bawri at 13th mile is creating lots of havoc to the passerby as it is located opposite to the 13th mile Assam L. P School.
According to the association, there is a great risk exposed to the minor students who are studying at the school as there is huge traffic congestion in the area.
The Association has threatened to appeal to the government of the neighboring state if the Meghalaya government does not stop the functioning of the weighbridge located at 13 mile within seven days.
Nidamon Chullet president JHTOW in a statement released here while stating that the weighbridge is located at the state border between Assam and Meghalaya further allege that the staffs of the weighbridge are collecting exorbitant amount of more than Rs 2000 per truck.
“The weighing of trucks at 13th mile weighbridge is highly unjust as trucks transporting goods to Byrnihat industrial areas are not weighed at all as they don’t have to pass through the weighbridge,” he said.
He further allege, “For no fault of our own, the Assam police are detaining us and compounded heavy fines on our vehicles for reason we park our trucks in the roadside while queuing up before reaching the weighbridge.”
Stating that there is no lay-bye facility and no approach road to the weighbridge, he said this is highly illegal as the guidelines for setting up weighbridge speaks about proper permission from the NHAI and lay-bye is a must.
“We request the government of Meghalaya to stop the biased and illegal action of weighing only Assam bound trucks where as the Byrnihat industrial estate bound trucks are exempted from paying taxes and weighment at government weighbridge at 13th mile.”
According to him, the government is not supposed to have new weighbridges anymore but to set up integrated check points as they have submitted before the Supreme Court of India.
