Laying down the law in no uncertain terms, the state government today ordered the Khasi and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Councils (KHADC and JHADC) to close all of their toll gates that have been set up on national highways, state highways and state roads, failing which action will be taken by the relevant districts.
The councils had resisted this directive in the past, arguing that they were within their rights to collect tolls on forest and other produce.
A meeting was held today between Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, District Council Affairs Minister Lahkmen Rymbui and representatives of the district councils to discuss the matter.
Although the government accepted that the KHADC and JHADC could collect tolls, it is illegal for them to do so on highways and state roads. According to Rymbui, the councils accepted this at the meeting. It was instead proposed that there be joint checking operations and the government will study this possibility.
Truckers have often alleged that they face rampant extortion at these toll gates, which have sprung up all over the state, some just a few hundred metres away from each other.
“We did not question the authority of the district councils to collect tax in their jurisdiction but on national highways, state highways and state roads they are not empowered to do so and they have to close them down immediately,” Rymbui said.
Asked how many such toll gates are in operation, the minister could not give an exact figure as there are “so many check gates of Syiems and Himas. Who gave these permission to operate I do not know.”
