Lawlessness at Nimatighat Raises Alarm Over Ferry Fare Extortion

Jorhat: Nimatighat has once again come under scrutiny following serious allegations of extortion from ferry passengers, highlighting growing concerns over lawlessness and lack of regulation at one of the state’s key river transit points. The growing awareness of the lack of controls in one of the main riverways in the state has once again brought these illegal activities to the fore.

According to the reports, the ferry commuters from Nimatighat to Ophola ghat were charged Rs 800 as fare. The sportspersons who were affected by this incident were those who had come from the state of Meghalaya to attend the Majuli MP Khel Mahotsav. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, especially considering that the crowd had no other option but to cooperate.

According to local sources, such instances are not a rare occurrence. Many passengers, particularly those belonging to the poorer sections of society, are frequently left stranded at Nimatighat, thereby becoming an easy target for such exploitation. The absence of appropriate ferry services, coupled with a lack of surveillance, has enabled certain elements to set arbitrary charges, thereby making a service for the general public a source of exploitation.

What is rather worrisome is that this pattern of looting and intimidation is flourishing with the tacit support or negligence of some officials and employees of the Inland Water Transport Department. Although no official announcement has yet been issued, this has already sparked public ire.

The situation in Nimatighat is representative of the Assam situation as a whole, with cases of extortion being reported in public transport vehicles, markets, and road junctions. Ranging from overpricing to unauthorised money extraction, the situation often gets out of control due to the lack of firm measures being taken despite continuous complaints, particularly targeting daily wage earners, students, and people from far-off places.

Today, voices are being raised demanding urgent action, tighter surveillance of ferry services, and transparency of fares to avert such harassment of commuters. What happened at Nimatighat brings home the need to check such extortion at an urgent level in the state.

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