Guwahati: Members of the All Assam Dumper Owners Association brought traffic to a halt on the Pengeree-Bordumsa Road in Tinsukia on Monday, July 13. Protesters staged the demonstration at Pengeree within the 83rd Margherita Legislative Assembly Constituency to fight a new, mandatory tax policy. They stood in the road and chanted slogans against the Assam Forest Department.
The department recently added a charge of Rs 200 per cubic metre on dumper trucks bringing stone and sand into Assam from neighboring states. Association members claim the tax creates a heavy financial burden for transport operators and small construction traders. Local youths joined the protest, labeling the policy as anti-trader and demanding an immediate withdrawal of the fees.
The blockade forced a temporary stop to all local vehicle movement. Normal traffic eventually resumed, but the group plans to escalate their efforts if the government stays silent. "The association urged the Assam government to review the decision and address the concerns of transport operators and small traders at the earliest," a spokesperson stated. The Assam Forest Department has yet to offer an official response to the mounting pressure.
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