HC directs Meghalaya govt to take action on revenue loss allegation

Shillong, Jun 13 (PTI) The Meghalaya High Court on Friday directed the state government to take action into the allegation of Rs 640 crore revenue loss due to "failure" to check overloaded goods vehicles in 28 weighbridges and absence of the same in many vantage points across the state.

Hearing a PIL filed by social activist Tennydard M Marak, the division bench comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh said, "We are of the view that the revenue loss element is very important for this litigation.".

"We direct the Principal Secretary, Transport department to properly scrutinise this response of the petitioner and file a counter affidavit in this Court by July 5 dealing with the allegations serving a copy thereof upon the petitioner before the next date of hearing fixed. The government is to take action in terms of the said allegations if found by it to be true," the bench said.

Marak in his petition has alleged that there is absence of required number of weighbridges in many places, illegality committed by government officials at the 28 weighbridges which are said to be operational by it, including the involvement of those officials in causing overloaded goods vehicles to cross the weighment area without weighing.

He alleged that his has caused a loss of Rs 640 crores of revenue to the government.

Marak has also challenged the report filed by the state that an inspection had been carried out in 24 weighbridge and in none of them any overloaded truck was found to pass.

"Some of the salient points taken in the rejoinder of the petitioner are (i) Total absence of weighbridges at vantage points (ii) In quite a few of them, there is no facility to weigh the load carried by the truck.

"It is simply done manually and, in most cases, incorrectly (iii) Goods are passing to Bangladesh without any proper weighment. The weighment facility at Dalu weighbridge located at Chaipani , Dalu can only weigh 10-wheeler trucks whereas, those entering India from Bhutan are 12-wheeler trucks. These trucks cannot be weighed," the bench said in its order. PTI JOP RG