Truck terminus: State earns over Rs 372 cr revenue in about 15 months

SOUMITRA NANDI, MP, 4 Dec 2023, Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s initiative of allowing the state government to take control of the truck terminuses in the international borders through the Transport department has proved to be a game changer with the state already earning revenue of over Rs 372 crore through collection of parking fees in around 15 months. 

In the financial year 2022-23, the department had collected Rs 184.30 crore while in the ongoing 2023-24 fiscal, the collection has been Rs 187.74 crore till mid-November from these bordering truck terminals. In 2022-23, it was for the first time when the total revenue collection of the state Transport department surpassed the budget estimate of collection. 

The total earning of the department clocked Rs 3392 crore; the budget estimate being Rs 2772 crore. In this ongoing fiscal too, the state has already seen a collection of Rs 2170 crore till November middle and is well poised to surpass the budget estimate of Rs 3583.90 crore. 

In 2010-11 before the Trinamool Congress government came to power, the collection was Rs 798.11 crore against the budget estimate of collection being Rs 890.12 crore. “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee returns the entire revenue earned by the department to the common people’s development. 

Our proactive measures have encouraged people to pay taxes in time,” state Transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty said. There are six international check posts (ICP) at these truck terminuses – namely Petrapole, Ghojadanga in North 24-Parganas, Mahadipur in Malda, Hili in South Dinajpur, Changrabandha in Cooch Behar and Fulbari in Jalpaiguri. The Petrapole ICP started functioning from June 29 last year while the one at Ghojadanga started from July 30. 

The four other ICPs in North Bengal became operational from September 26. Also Read - ‘Selection list via lottery system or direct admission to be released soon’ On February 8, 2022, the Transport department notified that no parking area can be used on commercial basis on any land within 15 km from the zero point of the international borders across the state without prior permission of the department or specifically ordered by the District Magistrate for a temporary period, after taking necessary concurrence of the Transport department. 

Other government departments/ agencies/ local bodies will restrain themselves from letting out parking space without prior approval of the Transport department. Banerjee while chairing an administrative review meeting in the last week of January 2022 had expressed her concern over some people taking away the money collected from the truck terminals functioning along the border. 

She had made it clear that she wanted the revenue to go to the government exchequer and not distributed among some individuals. She had directed the Transport department to take control of the terminals by February 7. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/truck-terminus-state-earns-over-rs-372-cr-revenue-in-about-15-months-542874