Meghalaya Government Approves Transport Policy

* Illegal weighbridges to be regulated

* Registration rates of vehicles hiked

* Charges of events also raised

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Cabinet on Monday approved the Transport Policy to regulate weighbridges in the State. According to Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, the Transport Policy will regulate the setting up of illegal weighbridges.

“Since there is no policy, we don’t even have the thrust area,” Tynsong told media persons.

He also said that the Transport Policy will stop the leakages of revenue through the weighbridges.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet also decided to hike the registration rate of vehicles.

Tynsong informed, “There has been a hike of 2 percent across all categories of vehicles.”

Vehicles which has been priced up to Rs 3 lakh, the cost of registration will be 4 percent of the cost price, those costing more than Rs 3 lakh the cost of registration will be 6 percent, vehicles costing from Rs 15-20 lakh, the cost of registration will be 8 percent and for vehicles above 20 lakh the cost of registration will be 10 percent.

Tynsong also informed that the last enhancement was done in the year 2011.

Moreover, the Cabinet also decided to approve the proposal of the Taxation department to charge from organizers of public events.

The Deputy Chief Minister informed that a function having more than 2000 people will be known as a “mega event” and will be charged at the rate of Rs 25000 per day.

An event having less than 2000 people will be charged at Rs 15000 per day while “super mega event” having more than 5000 attending it will, the organizers will have to pay the government Rs 1 lakh.

The State Cabinet also decided to rename the ‘Sericulture and Weaving Department’ as the ‘Department of Textiles’.