Meghalaya High Court scrutinises alleged weighbridge corruption

The Meghalaya High Court is investigating claims of potential corruption at weighbridges across the state, where officials allegedly allow overloaded trucks to pass without proper inspection.

Social activist Tenny Dard M Marak filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL No. 1 of 2024) claiming that government officials operating 28 weighbridges statewide are permitting overloaded goods vehicles to bypass proper weighment procedures.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh heard the matter, where the State government presented its findings from an investigation ordered by the court.

"According to this report, this exercise was carried out in 24 weighbridges. In none of them, any overloaded truck was found to pass," noted the court order summarising the State's submission dated May 8.

The petitioner's counsel, Dr P Agarwal, challenged the accuracy of the government's report and requested time to file a rejoinder. The court has granted this request, with the rejoinder to be filed by June 6.

If proven, the alleged misconduct could cause significant revenue loss to the state through unpaid fees and charges. Transportation regulations require heavy vehicles to undergo weighment to ensure they comply with weight limits designed to prevent road damage and ensure safety.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for June 13, 2025, when it will review the petitioner's rejoinder to the government's findings.