RAJESH KUMAR PANDEY
Dumka, Nov.23: Authorities of the transport department seized 19 trucks near Ramgarh along the Dumka-Shikaripara road, which falls under Shikaripara police station area, late last evening as part of the crackdown against illegal transportation of minerals from the district.
The team of the transport department was led by the Deputy Commissioner (Transport) of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Santhal Pargana, Jugnu Minj, with the District Transport Officer (DTO) Philibius Barla also accompanying him.
However, all the drivers and cleaners of the seized overloaded trucks managed to escape as the team intercepted them. The trucks could not be brought to the Shikaripara police station and are still parked along the roadside.
Taking serious note of the conduct of drivers to escape leaving the vehicles, the transport department has blacklisted all the trucks until the owners appear before the authorities to produce the documents and deposit suitable fines.
“Roughly a fine amounting to above Rs 60-70 lakh will be imposed on each of the seized trucks considering the quantity of the overloaded stones being 10 to 12 tonnes apart from an additional fine to be imposed after examining the documents under the Motor Vehicle Act,” the DC (Transport) said adding that the mining department was also informed to assess and recover the penalty if there was any such violation of minerals act.
He further said that with the blacklisting of those vehicles, the owners wouldn’t be able to update their documents pertaining to the tax, insurance and even pollution certificates from elsewhere in the country.
The move, however, has reportedly sparked panic among the violators of the transport and mineral rules who are indulged in the contraband practice through a well established network of mining mafias.
