"The government has decided to crack down on truckers who violated the SC specifications while plying on the highways," an official said.
"Chief minister Mukul Sangma has asked district administrations to act against truckers violating the rules and carrying excess load while plying on highways," the official added.
In a landmark judgment on November 9, 2005, the Supreme Court had banned overloading of trucks in excess of prescribed weight limit. The court had observed that trucks found on roads carrying excess load would have to offload the cargo crossing the legal weight limit.
The SC had further upheld that an overloaded truck could not proceed on its journey unless enforcement authorities ensured that the vehicle weight had been brought to the prescribed load limit. It also directed that the excess cargo be offloaded at the risk and cost of the vehicle owner before it's permitted to carry on with the journey even after payment of penalty.
Over the last two weeks, the state government has raised over Rs 13 lakh by slapping fines on truant truckers carrying excess load on NH 62. "No truck will be allowed to renovate its body structure and carry excess load. The SC order will be strictly followed. This may bring down the permitted load capacity per truck below the now-practiced 15 tonnes," a source said. On the other hand, the government has also ordered closing down of all weighbridges, but two one at the entry point and another at the exit on NH-62, according to a Gauhati High Court directive.