West Bengal Govt Seeks Time to Review Extra Taxes; 500 Members Attend Sit-in at Natura Check Post
Key Points:
- Bengal Border check post protest by Jamshedpur truck owners suspended after assurance
- Rs 11,000 annual additional tax, Rs 1,200 monthly mechanic tax alleged by association
- Kolkata Truck Association, Barbil and Keonjhar unions join the agitation
JAMSHEDPUR – The Jamshedpur Truck and Trailer Owners Association on Friday suspended its indefinite sit-in at the Bengal Border Check Post in Natura, West Bengal, after the state government offered assurances and sought time to review the matter.
The protest began at 9 am at the Natura check post. However, it was called off by 4 pm after the West Bengal government gave its assurance. The government also sought additional time to consider the grievances raised.
General Secretary Manish Kumar Singh addressed the press at the protest site. He alleged that the West Bengal transport department had long been subjecting vehicle owners to various forms of additional taxation. He said truck and trailer owners were being charged an annual additional tax of Rs 11,000.
Moreover, a monthly mechanical tax of Rs 1,200 was also being levied. In addition, a local toll tax of Rs 236 was being collected per trip.
Singh also alleged that vehicles were stopped even on minor diversion routes. Extra money was allegedly being collected from drivers at these points. He said such practices were not seen in other states of the country.
Trailer drivers’ protests are not new in Jamshedpur. The association pointed out that all vehicles already operate under an All India Permit. The permit fee, it said, had already been paid by the vehicle owners. Hence, levying additional taxes was considered unjustified.
Participants of the sit-in demanded that the newly formed West Bengal government act immediately. They demanded abolition of all additional taxes. These allegedly included a so-called “gunda tax” collected during the previous government’s tenure.
The association expressed hope that the new government would take a positive approach. A reliable source said, “We are willing to wait, but only for a reasonable time. If the taxes are not abolished, we will resume the agitation with greater force.”
Around 500 members of the Jamshedpur Truck and Trailer Owners Association participated in the protest. Officials and members from the Kolkata Truck Association also attended. Representatives from the Barbil Union and Keonjhar Union were also present at the demonstration.
The association’s president Jasvir Singh, General Secretary Manish Kumar Singh, and treasurer Ranjit Singh led the event. Several other office-bearers were also present. The collective demand centred on relief for transport operators burdened by multiple levies.
Under the All India Permit system, vehicles are already authorised to operate across state boundaries. The association said the additional state-level taxes effectively amounted to double taxation. Transport rules in India already impose several compliance costs on vehicle owners.
The protest by the association is the latest in a series of grievances raised by the trading and transport community in the region. The association warned that the sit-in would be resumed if its demands were not met within a reasonable timeframe.
