SHILLONG : Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar on Friday said the Meghalaya government is examining the demand made by truck owners from Jaintia Hills seeking waiver of penalties and fees related to vehicle documents.
Dhar made the statement after meeting a Joint Action Committee comprising the East Jaintia Hills Truck Owners and Transporters Association and the Jaintia Hills Truck Owners Association.
According to Dhar, the truckers requested the government to waive document fees, vehicle-related charges and other pending dues, citing severe financial hardship caused by the coal ban and disruptions in exports to Bangladesh over the past few years.
“They have expressed that because business has not been good in recent years, many truck owners are unable to clear accumulated dues,” Dhar told reporters.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the government is currently examining the proposal and would extend maximum possible relief within the legal framework.
“Definitely we will help them to the maximum as per the law,” he said, while clarifying that only state-level taxes and levies could be considered for waiver, as some provisions linked to the Central Motor Vehicles Act may not be legally relaxed.
Dhar also informed that the government would prepare a proposal and place it before the Cabinet for approval once feasibility studies are completed.
In a memorandum submitted to the government, the Joint Action Committee urged the reintroduction of a Special One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme to help transporters regularise long-pending vehicle documents and unpaid royalties.
The JAC stated that many truck owners are currently unable to renew their documents due to accumulated dues, resulting in several vehicles remaining invalid on paper and affecting livelihoods across the region.
The committee argued that the OTS scheme would not only help transporters but also generate immediate revenue for the state government through settlement of pending arrears while improving legal compliance in the transport sector.