OUR CORRESPONDENT
DIGBOI: An overloaded truck carrying reinforcement steel materials overturned on National Highway 38 at Tingrai, under Digboi police station in Tinsukia district, on Thursday morning, once again exposing glaring gaps in the enforcement of transport and safety regulations.
Official documents, including tax invoices and e-Way Bill records, show that the truck bearing registration number AS23BC1895 was transporting TMT reinforcement bars and black wire from Dennybenny Associates, Gandhi Park Road, Tinsukia, to Margherita for Winton Power Infrastructure.
The load comprised TMT bars of multiple sizes—16mm, 12mm, 10mm and 8mm—along with black wire, with a declared total weight of approximately 5,165 kilograms and a declared value of Rs 3,25,857, inclusive of CGST and SGST. Sources allege that the materials were being transported uncovered, despite standing prohibitory orders.
Reportedly, immediately after the accident, the consignment was shifted to another vehicle, while the accident-involved truck was taken into police custody. It has further been alleged that the vehicle was released without mandatory verification by the Motor Vehicles Inspector (MVI), raising serious concerns over post-accident protocol. The incident has also triggered a larger and more troubling question: how did an allegedly overloaded truck manage to pass through multiple police station jurisdictions without being intercepted? This question gains significance in light of allegations that business firms in Tinsukia routinely prefer early-morning movement of overloaded consignments to evade checks by police and MVI officials, thereby maximizing profits at the cost of public safety.
The case assumes added importance as it appears to be in direct contravention of recent orders issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia, which strictly prohibit the movement of uncovered construction materials and direct strong action against overloaded vehicles across the district.
The accident caused temporary traffic disruption along the busy national highway. Police from Digboi police station reached the spot and undertook traffic management and road clearance.
Although no injuries or fatalities were reported, the incident has once again brought to the fore systemic enforcement failures, raising questions not only about transport operators but also about monitoring mechanisms that allow overloaded vehicles to operate with apparent impunity. Calls are growing for a thorough and transparent inquiry into the incident and the alleged lapses surrounding it.
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