After instructions from chief minister Mamata Banerjee to take action against all errant vehicles carrying overloaded goods and damaging roads and highways in West Bengal, the transport department and the district road transport authority have jointly raided and collected Rs 4 lakh fine from eight overloaded trucks from Raniganj area.
According to the district transport department, the search operations have been conducted since the last couple of days and actions will be taken against all the errant overloaded vehicles plying through this route.
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One of the trucks was carrying raw materials for a sponge iron factory in Mangalpur in Raniganj police station area and was intercepted by the MV officials at national highways-19. In the weighbridge the vehicle was found overloaded and instantly fined Rs 65,500.
Similarly, from another overloaded truck Rs 47,000 was collected as fine.
“So far, we have collected Rs 4 lakh as penalties after lodging cases against eight overloaded trucks coming from Kolkata and other places. Our raids will continue and overloaded vehicles plying in West Burdwan district will not be allowed,” said Mrinmoy Majumdar, RTO of West Burdwan.
Recently, during her routine administrative meeting at Nabanna, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had directed to take steps against plying of overloaded vehicles carrying stone chips, coal, sand, bricks, soil and other minerals throughout the state to chief secretary Manoj Pant and DGP Rajeev Kumar.
Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate (ADPC) and district Road Transport Authority (RTA) had started joint searches, combing operations and taking punitive actions against the errant vehicles.
Most of the joint raids are being conducted at night, when traffic police are not present on duty at the important roads, highways and junctions in West Burdwan district.
Both the state highways authority and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) used overloaded vehicles for damaging highways and bridges.
