SHILLONG: A crucial meeting between the Meghalaya government, Truck Owners’ Associations, and cement factory representatives yesterday ended on a tense and uncertain note. Though the parties managed to secure an agreement on a revised truck quota favouring local transporters, the discussions were overshadowed by a sharp standoff over intra-state freight rates. What began as a hopeful negotiation quickly turned into a heated exchange, leaving the key issue unresolved and tensions lingering on both sides.
Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar, convened the meeting with leaders from the Jaintia Truck Owners Association (JTOA), the East Jaintia Truck Association (EJTA), the Meghalaya Commercial Truck Owner and Driver Association (MCTODA), and the Jaintia Hills Cement Manufacturer Association. The goal was to resolve pending issues following an earlier meeting.
Key Announcements
The Cement Factories and Associations have agreed to implement a new quota for local trucks. The daily allocation will be increased from the previous 80 trucks to 120 trucks for local transporters.
At least 100 trucks will start loading from November 28. The remaining 20 trucks will be implemented from December.
Intra-State Freight Rate (Within Meghalaya): The rate for transportation within the state will remain ₹9 per tonne per kilometre, as decided in the previous meeting.
However, the Deputy CM stated that some Cement Factory representatives expressed their inability to accept the ₹9 rate, claiming it is too high and could lead to an increase in local cement prices, impacting the public.
The government has now directed the Associations and Cement Factories to negotiate and resolve the intra-state rate among themselves, stating that it is no longer the government’s direct matter.
Setting a rate for goods transported outside Meghalaya (Inter-State Rate) requires further discussion and review with the Law Department, as the state government legally cannot fix rates for movement outside its jurisdiction.
MCTODA Expresses Shock and Disappointment
Immediately following the meeting, the Meghalaya Commercial Truck Owner and Driver Association (MCTODA) voiced their shock and deep disappointment over the sudden reversal by the Cement Factories on the previously agreed-upon ₹9 rate.
Moskalander Marngar, representing the Truck Associations, stated that the meeting was demoralising because the Cement Factory representatives retracted their prior acceptance of the ₹9 per tonne per kilometre intra-state rate, which had been unanimously agreed upon in the November 13 meeting, in the presence of two Deputy Chief Ministers, Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar.
Key Points of Discontent from MCTODA:
Factory representatives explicitly stated they would not agree to the ₹9 rate, despite the government publicly announcing it.
The factories reportedly cited the Advocate General’s (AG) opinion, suggesting that the ₹9 rate might not be legally tenable and could be challenged in court.
Marngar expressed dissatisfaction with the new Quota System, demanding that first preference be given to all local trucks until they run out of loads, after which trucks belonging to the Cement Factories could be used. He pointed out that allocating only 120 trucks daily for local transporters out of approximately 2,000 trucks is unfair, although the Association was compelled to accept it.
The inability of the government to fix the Inter-State rate was noted as problematic, as it leads to a discrepancy where a truck transporting cement to Byrnihat for state consumption gets paid at the government-fixed rate, but a truck carrying the same cement to Assam from Byrnihat is not paid the same rate.
Marngar said, the Association will now consult with its members to decide on the next course of action following the outcome of the meeting.
