Shillong, June 13: The Meghalaya High Court has sought reply from the state government on a petition that alleged loss of revenue to the tune of Rs 640 crore due to alleged failure in checking overloaded goods vehicles in 28 weighbridges and absence of the same in many vantage points across the state.
“We are of the view that the revenue loss element is very important for this litigation,” the division bench comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh said after hearing a PIL filed by social activist Tennydard M Marak.
The court directed the principal secretary, Transport department to properly scrutinise the PIL and file a counter affidavit by July 5 this year.
Also directing the court to take action in this regard, the court order said, “The government is to take action in terms of the said allegations, if found by it to be true.”
Marak, in his petition, alleged that there is absence of required number of weighbridges at many places, illegality committed by government officials at 28 weighbridges.
He accused the officials of causing overloaded goods vehicles to cross the weighbridge area without any weighment, with impunity.
This apart from anything else has caused a loss of Rs 640 crores of revenue to the government, according to Marak.
He also challenged a government report that stated none of the weighbridges were found to have cleared any overloaded truck without weighment during an inspection carried out in 24 weighbridges.
The petitioner, meanwhile, filed a rejoinder to the PIL, alleging total absence of weighbridges at vantage points; no facility to weigh the load in quite a few of them – it’s done simply, most likely, incorrectly; Goods are passing to Bangladesh without any proper weighment; weighment facility at Dalu weighbridge at Chaipani can only weigh 10-wheeler trucks – most trucks from Bhutan to India entering India from Bhutan are 12 wheelers. These trucks cannot be weighed,” the bench said in its order.
“As far as inter-country transit is concerned between Bhutan, India and Bangladesh, learned counsel for the State submits that the goods are in transit according to the treaty between the three countries and the Indian government cannot act except according to the terms of the treaty. They have limited powers with respect of those goods,” it added.
