Goods passed to Bangladesh without proper weighment, Marak told the High Court of Meghalaya

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 15, 2025

The High Court of Meghalaya has directed the Meghalaya Government to inquire into the allegation of illegality committed by the officials posted in weighbridges if the allegation is found to be true.

The Court issued the direction in the hearing of PIL No 1 of 2024 filed by Tennyard M. Marak versus State of Meghalaya & others in the High Court of Meghalaya on June 13, 2025 in the court of Justice I.P. Mukerji, Chief Justice and Justice W. Diengdoh, Judge.

The Court said that Marak petitioned there is absence of required number of weighbridges in many places, illegality committed by government officials at the 28 weighbridges which are said to be operational by it, including the involvement of those officials in causing overloaded goods vehicles to cross the weighment area without weighment, with impunity. This apart from anything else has caused a loss of Rs 640 crores of revenue to the government.

Marak pointed the absence of weighbridges at vantage points while further saying that in few of them, there is no facility to weigh the load carried by the truck as is simply done manually and, in most cases, incorrectly.

Informing Goods are passing to Bangladesh without any proper weighment, Marak alleged that the weighment facility at Dalu weighbridge located at Chaipani, Dalu can only weigh 10-wheeler trucks whereas, those entering India from Bhutan are 12 wheelers. These trucks cannot be weighed.

However, the Counsel appearing for the Government said that as far as inter-country transit is concerned between Bhutan, India and Bangladesh and 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.

The Court said “We are of the view that the revenue loss element is very important for this litigation.”  It directed the Principal Secretary, Transport Department to properly scrutinize this response of the petitioner and file a counter affidavit in this Court by 5th July, 2025 dealing with the allegations serving a copy thereof upon the petitioner before the next date of hearing fixed.