Shillong, Jul 1: The Meghalaya Commercial Truck Owners and Drivers Association (MCTODA) has stated that commercial vehicles from outside the state are causing significant disruptions and reportedly detrimental to local businesses, affecting indigenous people.
The association members met with Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Executive Member (EM) Powell Sohkhlet citing economic displacement within the trucking industry. The association stated that as per the Trading by Non-Tribal Act, jobs that local residents can undertake should not be assigned to outsiders.
MCTODA president Mokslandar Marngar pointed out that many trucks belonging to local truck owners are stranded without work while those from outside flourish in the business environment of Khasi-Jaintia Hills. “What is happening now is that these people from outside are snatching away our right to livelihood,” he said.
The association has suggested that regulations be implemented to prevent trucks registered outside of Meghalaya from carrying goods within the state. Such measures, they believe, could significantly benefit local businesses and enhance tax revenues for the KHADC.
The MCTODA also raised concerns about the toll and check gates affecting their operations. Marngar said since 2019, the association has been taking up the issue with various executives, claiming that the rules enforced at these gates complicate their ability to conduct business, particularly at night.
In response to these grievances, Sohkhlet, assured the MCTODA that the concerns would be brought to the council’s attention for further discussions.
