Amid widespread public outcry against mushrooming toll gates including those set up by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), the State government has finally decided to act.
In the first step, the Ri-Bhoi district administration today closed down the KHADC toll gate on National Highway-6 at Umdihar.
Additional District Magistrate Eric Kevin Dkhar along with police personnel besides sealing the toll gate also dismantled the signboard erected by the toll gate operator.
According to Dkhar, the toll gate has been set up without obtaining prior permission from the district administration.
The toll gate had been collecting “tax” on various goods entering Meghalaya including essential commodities.
The action by the Ri-Bhoi district administration followed a report in Shillong Mail, a local news channel, on September 9 which gave details on the hardships caused to transporters by the various toll gates run by KHADC and others along the National Highway.
The news channel also talked to drivers of goods trucks who informed that the toll gate workers never issued receipts for the money they collected.
The presence of toll gates has become an eyesore with the majority of people alleging that this racket has led to the increase in prices of goods in Meghalaya including essential items.
However, it remains to be seen if the authorities will follow up with similar crackdowns against the toll gate menace in other areas too.
For example, in Ri-Bhoi, there are toll gates that are actively operating in Bhoirymbong, Lad Umroi and at Iew Mawroh in Jirang and Umling.
In East Khasi Hills, several toll gates are present along the Shillong By-Pass at Mawryngkneng, Mawkhanu, Thangshalai, Mawlai Mawiong (Near ISBT) and Mawiong Rim.
In West Khasi Hills, it was informed that a toll gate was operating at Mawshynrut. In West Jaintia Hills, a toll gate can be found at Jowai By-Pass.
Toll gates run by District Councils are illegal since the State government had last year directed all District Councils to close down their toll gates along national highways and State roads.
Last year, a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and attended by District Council Affairs Minister Lahkmen Rymbui and representatives of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) had directed for closure of toll gates run by District Councils.
In June 2022, Governor Satya Pal Malik had spoken to the chief minister on the need to shut down all toll gates set up by the District Councils along the national highways and State highways.
However, the direction by the State government has never been implemented and these toll gates are still operating much to the suffering of the common man due to the resulting effect of price rise.
