Shillong July 15 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma Thursday said he will take legal action against a truckers’ body for accusing him of abetting extortion along the national highway 62 in the state.
‘I am resorting to legal action against the accusations of truckers,’ Sangma told journalists in the wake of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj’s assurance to truckers that she would raise the issue in the forthcoming monsoon session of parliament.
The All North East Commercial Truckers’ and Owners’ Association (ANECTOA) charged Sangma of abetting extortion on National Highway 62 after he allegedly requested them to come to an understanding with the operators of the illegal toll and check gates instead of demanding their removal.
According to the truckers’ body, there are more than 29 such illegal toll gates on the highway manned by armed people extorting over Rs.6,000 per truck per trip. The National Highway 62 connecting Meghalaya’s East and South Garo Hills districts and West Khasi Hills district.
‘When we approached the chief minister to dismantle the illegal gates, we were shocked to hear from him saying ‘I cannot do anything to these illegal gates’ and suggested we come to an understanding with the operators of the illegal toll and check gates and settle them on monthly basis,’ ANECTOA general secretary Augustine Shanpru alleged.
However, Sangma rubbished the truckers’ allegations and said that the stand of the government on the illegal toll gates is zero tolerance and directives has been issued to district administrations to dismantle these toll gates.
‘We have taken action against these illegal toll gates and if there are there still, the government will act accordingly,’ Sangma said.
Earlier, the ANECTOA has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P.Chidambaram to direct the state government to stop all the illegal check gates and initiate a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into it.
Interestingly, the A’chik National Volunteer Council (ANVC), a powerful rebel group operating in Garo Hills area, criticised the truckers over the issue of illegal toll gates.
‘ANECTOA’s accusations against the chief minister on the issue are politically motivated and these toll gates along the highway are not illegal at all since they belong to different departments of the government including the autonomous district council,’ ANVC spokesman, Arist Sengsrang Sangma said.
