Bhutanese trucks to pay for challan to cross border through Fulbari

Siliguri: The demands of Indian truck owners have finally been met and from now on, Bhutanese trucks will also have to pay for a challan through the Suvidha portal to cross the Indo-Bangladesh border at Fulbari in the

Jalpaiguri district.

The decision was taken after the intervention of Bengal Transport minister Snehashish Chakraborty. The Transport department issued a notification in this regard after representatives of truck owners and drivers held a meeting with the

minister on January 7.

Md Sahjahan, Secretary of the Fulbari Border Local Truck Owners Welfare Association, on Wednesday said: “We are very happy with the meeting we had with the minister. We explained the issues to him, which he took into due consideration and issued

the notification.” Truckers had jointly staged a protest, demanding the same rules for Indian and Bhutanese trucks that have been crossing the border via Fulbari. They even staged a hunger strike, which was withdrawn on December 29 after assurance from Mahua Gope, Trinamool Congress Jalpaiguri district president.

As per the rules, six-wheeler trucks must pay Rs 1,200 while 10-wheeler and more than 12-wheeler trucks have to pay trucks Rs 2,500 and Rs 6,000, respectively, through the Suvidha portal to cross the border.