Shillong, Apr 17: A bridge in West Garo Hills collapsed after two "overloaded trucks" tried to cross over and "smuggle sugar to Bangladesh" with the connivance of “deputy commissioners, police chiefs of West, South and North Garo Hills districts and customs officials.”
In this regard, a complaint has been filed by a social activist, Nilberth Marak, before the Election Commission of India (ECI). "Complaint against the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police of North Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills, Meghalaya, for allowing the rampant and illegal exportation of sugar to Bangladesh and allowing the overloading trucks to ply in violation of Supreme Court order and in violation against the model code of conduct,” the subject of Marak's complaint read.
The bridge collapsed on April 16 when two trucks carrying sugar were allegedly heading towards the India-Bangladesh border in South Garo Hills.
The bridge connecting Dimapara and Karongre had a load-carrying capacity of 9 metric tonnes, but the two trucks, which tried to cross over, had a combined capacity in excess of 20 metric tonnes, leading to its collapse, said Marak.
Marak, in his complaint, added that the bridge had collapsed completely after the two overloaded trucks bearing numbers AS-01-MC-4307 and AS-01-FC-6875 belonging to Akrirul Islam Faraji were trying to cross over with the illegal consignment of sugar.
Marak therefore urged the ECI to “take strong and appropriate action against the respective district administrations, SPs of North Garo Hills, South Garo Hills, and West Garo Hills and custom officers of Gasuapara, South Garo Hills district, for indulging in the illegal export of sugar to Bangladesh.”
Meanwhile, the Superintendent of Police West Garo Hills, Dara Aswaghosh, said over the phone from Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills, that an FIR has been filed and the drivers of the trucks are injured. He, however, couldn’t confirm the number of drivers injured or if they were hospitalised.
“The case is under investigation and an FIR has been filed. I can’t confirm how many have been injured or where the consignment was headed. These things would be cleared after an investigation," Aswaghosh said.
The social activist, on the other hand, said the bridge was the only link between West and South Garo Hills. He said the bridge collapse has “badly affected the citizens” and would also affect the upcoming elections as polling officials would have difficulty moving from one district to the other.
