Ampareen assures to take up with Govt to exempt vegetable vehicles from paying tax at WB

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 22, 2024

Minister incharge Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ampareen Lyngdoh on Monday assured to take up with both the deputy chief ministers on the issue relating to vegetables carrying vehicles having to pay tax at weigh bridges in the state.

After meeting a delegation of the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), Lyngdoh said, “We don’t have any authority, if there they are such allegation, they should only rooted through proper channel, Minister should only listen how best, can be better the business of both the farmers, as well as the traders. You cannot be a one sided representation, everybody will be given opportunity and one should not forget that we have the district councils, who has stake in this matter. Government will not be able to take decision about these matter without proper consultations.”

“I have assured them a consultation. Let me first be educated on this matter myself. I am not aware of the complexities are around me, I am beginning to understand them, but I need clarity and I will sit with deputy CMs both of them to be further guided on this matter,” she added.

Earlier, FKJGP president Dundee C Khongsit said that the delegation has urged the minister’s intervention to take up with the state government to exempt vegetable carrying vehicles from paying taxes to all weigh bridges. 

He said the government is also urged to notify the issuing of road delivery challans. 

According to him, tax collection is not fixed.

“That is why, this is totally illegal. This is not even tax. This is looting. It ranges sometime from Rs 1000 or Rs 1500 is being collected and sometimes only Rs 300,” he stated. 

Asked, Lyngdoh said that she will be taking guidance on the matter.

“Now that they have met me and I have been hearing that there is this big gap between sellers, traders, buyers, so we will see, we will figure this up, I am just at the initial stage of calling all stakeholders on board. Let me first get the properly briefed, then I will call them again, sometime before the Independence Day, let us see where it reached first, and let me first get the correct indicator. I am not the authority, we are not that challan issuing agency, and we are simply taking care of farmer’s welfare,” she said.

To another question, the minister said, “I have anyways sought, more advice of this matter. I cannot operate single handedly be on this matter, lLike I told you transport is under the purview of another department, police is under another purview of another department and as a government we are have to take a collective call.”

“I am simply going to initiate a discussion to see whether that will be possible or not. What is the kind of challan that is also circulating in the market today, I am unaware of, I only know that the district council also has now enacted a law.

We cannot step on jurisdictions of the governments, whether at the district council or at the state, make sure we are all on the same page and I will do just that and I will brief them accordingly,” she stated.