The All Arunachal Pradesh Public Transport Federation (AAPPTF) led by its president Dobing Sonam on Friday called on Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu at his office here and submitted a memorandum demanding strict implementation of the ‘Reciprocal Transport Agreement (RTA)’ which was signed between the Government of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in the year 1999.
The RTA provides a corridor facility for passenger vehicles plying from one point of any reciprocating State to another point of the same State through the territory of other State. Accordingly the operator/vehicle concerned shall not be required to pay any tax in the other State through which the corridor facility has been availed.
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“As per Clause 4 of the agreement the State Transport Authority of either State has the authority to issue a temporary permit for specific routes not mentioned under the RTA and the same which shall be subjected to only a single point motor vehicle tax. However, we have received numerous complaints from the operators of Arunachal that the officials of Assam are levying heavy taxes on them even for plying on the routes that fall under the ‘Corridor Facility’ and for countersigning the temporary permits. This is totally against the terms of the RTA,” the AAPPTF stated in its letter.
The Federation further appealed to the Chief Minister to intervene in the matter and discuss the same with the Government of Assam, so that the agreement is followed in letter and spirit.
Re-allotment of the APST bus depot land at Naharlagun presently allotted to the Tomo Riba Institute of Medical Sciences to the urban development department for construction of a parking lot and early completion of the four-lane highway were the other demands of the Federation.
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It was informed that the chief minister has assured to look into the grievances of the transport operators and that of the AAPPTF.