Long queues of goods-laden trucks choking the Palakkad-Coimbatore stretch of National Highway 544 have become a thing of the past with the country’s largest inter-State check-post at Walayar stopping functioning on Friday night.
Though normal vehicle checking ceased to exist at Walayar on July 1 following introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST), vehicles carrying goods to Kerala needed to stop at the check-post to collect and submit GST clearance forms. From Saturday, trucks need not submit the GST clearance forms and hence the commercial taxes department closed down the check-post. Over 200 officials who worked at the check-posts will be redeployed.
Along with this, 83 other check-posts in the State were also closed down.
Mobile patrolling units of the department will, however, conduct surprise checks on goods-laden vehicles. The e-way bill facility to collect taxes will come into existence this week to collect taxes. According to officials who served at Walayar, approximately 2,500 vehicles reached the check-post a day for clearance, often creating traffic congestion for several hours.
Of various agencies
Other than the Commercial Taxes Department, check-posts of government agencies like Excise, Motor Vehicles, Forest, National Highway, Public Works, Animal Husbandry, and Police had also functioned at Walayar. With all of them winding up operations, non-commercial vehicles need not have to struggle for hours to pass through the stretch. The move also has saved the pond, Maharaja Kulam, which was to be acquired for setting up an integrated check-post.
In Palakkad, inter-State check-posts at Velanthavalam, Ozhalapathi, Naduppuni, Gopalapuram, Meenakshipuram, Govindapuram, Chemmanampathi, and Anaikatti were also closed down. Internal check-posts at Anamooli, Neelipara, Kannimari, Anchammile, Athikkod, Menonpara and Valara were also closed down.
The winding up of the check-posts marks the end of the unholy nexus between politicians and corrupt officials to facilitate illegal tax exemptions to cargo operators.
