SHILLONG:
The Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) has come out all guns blazing against the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), giving it a one-week deadline to close down what it believes are 18 illegal toll gates along the national highway.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, HNYF East Khasi Hills president Bless Dkhar said, “There are 18 gates operated by the KHADC and it collects revenue from these gates. We have not heard if the district council ever calls for a tender or publishes advertisement for installing toll gates.”
HNYF will now write officially to higher-ups, and even threatened to take extra-legal measures to close the toll gates themselves if the government fails to act.
Stating that the installation of toll gates has not benefited the KHADC, he said, “Till date, the KHADC goes with begging bowl waiting for funds from Government of India.”
These gates are mostly seen along the national highway and collect revenue. He said that there are people who complain that revenue is being collected even for broomsticks, stones and sand.
“This matter is still with the high court. The high court has not allowed the gates to be re-opened. Again, toll gates along the national highway cannot be operated without a no objection certificate,” he said.
Dkhar referred to a letter from the Joint Secretary, government of Meghalaya, to the secretary of the Executive Committee, KHADC dated January 18, 2023 stating that the installation of toll gates for collection of tolls on national highways, state highways and major district roads requires “no objection certificate” from the designated authority in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the state government, respectively.
The letter further stated that this requirement should be adhered to particularly in view of the pending cases before the Meghalaya High Court on the matter of collection of tolls.
Dkhar criticised the KHADC for not honouring the order of the court and alleged surreptitious activities by KHADC, given there are no advertisements for such toll gates.
“People who are close to MDCs, executive members, chief executive members and close aides of ‘high level’ are seen stationed in the toll gates,” he alleged.
He went on to claim that the illegal toll gates have allowed those who man them to enrich themselves on the backs of poor workers.