GUWAHATI, April 1 ? Even as the Guwahati Development Department Minister, Sri Anjan Dutta is in the eye of a storm over the procedure of allotment of checkgates and parking places, his ministerial colleague, Pradyut Bordoloi, Minister of State for Home, today assured the State Assembly that strict measures would be taken to prevent ?extortion? at checkgates all over the State. Bringing a Call Attention Motion in the House today, AGP legislator, Dilip Kumar Saikia raised alarm over the unabated extortion in these checkgates and drew the attention of the House to newspaper reports over ?reign of extortion? let loose by lessees, some of whom allegedly have links with underground elements and mafia. Saikia said, ?It is upto Government to allot these checkgates to whoever it likes. May be they are mafia, surrendered militants, underground elements, we don?t care as long as they collect the fees from vehicles only at the prescribed rate. The Government must stop the loot raj in these checkgates to save the economy of the State where the common man is already reeling under spiralling prices.?
The AGP legislator pointed out that, it was a shame on the Government that the ruling party MLA from Rangiya constituency was left with no other option but to stage a demonstration at the checkgate on national highway section in Rangiya town in protest against ?extortion? at the checkgate from vehicles, which are forced to cough up fees much in excess of the prescribed rate. In reply to Sri Saikia?s contention, the Minister of State for Home, Sri Bordoloi agreed that the ?checkgate culture? was throwing a spanner in economic development of the State and triggered escalation of prices. The Minister said, ?In this era of free economy, we are creating hurdles in the way of free trading in the form of these checkgates along the state highways.? He criticised the way trucks coming to the State are held up at Srirampur at five checkgates belonging to taxation, transport, excise, forest and agriculture marketing departments of the State. According to him a truck entering the State Srirampur gate usually takes 12 hours to get clearance from all these five checkgates, which sends all the wrong signals to those interested to do any business in the State.
The Home Minister informed that on the day present State Government assumed office last year, there were a total of 184 checkgates along the national highway sections in the State from Srirampur to Sadiya. ?As a Home Minister I immediately directed the DGP to ensure removal of all police checkgates from the highway and it was done,? he said. Regarding ?extortion? at the checkgates the Home Minister informed that police officials of the State had been strictly instructed to keep a vigil and prevent extortion by persons manning these checkgates in the State. He assured the House that no policeman found hobnobbing with ?extortionists? at these checkgates would be spared. A central check-squad has been formed by the State police to make random checks at these gates to prevent extortion and alleged ?police-truckers handshakes?. The Home Minister informed that cases had been registered against 11 State policemen so far on charges of extortion from vehicles while five other cases had been registered with different police stations against checkgates for charging excess rates from vehicles.
Meanwhile, widespread resentment prevails among a section of bidders, even within the ruling party over the unprecedented procedure adopted by the Guwahati Development Minister in leasing out four checkgates and three parking places in greater Guwahati area, ignoring the claim of the highest bidders. It was alleged that the key Khanapara and Saraighat checkgates were leased out to hencemen of a couple of surrendered militants with tainted track record ignoring highest bidders. The same thing has happened in case of leasing out of Jalukbari parking place while national highway parking place was leased out to relatives of a Congress MLA ignoring highest bidders.
The Khanapara checkgates has been leased out at Rs 4.5 crore per year while the highest bidder promised about Rs 9.2 crore. Saraighat gate has been leased at Rs 4.3 crore while the highest bidder was ready to give Rs 9.04 crore. Jalukbari parking place has been leased out at Rs 1.5 crore per year while the highest bidder offered Rs 2.8 crore. National highway parking place has been leased out at Rs 2.6 crore while the number one bidder offered Rs 2.9 crore.