Tura, Apr 1: Meghalaya’s first integrated smart checkgate was inaugurated and opened for business on March 31st at Depa Garet, Dainadubi, North Garo Hills by Deputy commissioner of North Garo Hills R P Marak along with DMO of Williamnagar Raja Thaba, SP of North Garo Hills Abraham T Sangma and ADC Z J Sangma.

The smart checkgate consists of computerised machinery and internet facility which monitors and sends up to date data of every coal or mineral truck passing through it.

The CCTV set up views the arriving trucks while a computerised weighing machine registers the vehicle and the size of the goods in it. Another machine scans the challan of the truck to verify if it is original or fake and finally the bar code of each consignment is scanned to check if it is the correct and authentic one.

As the process of checking and evaluating gets under way, immediately all data including visuals are simultaneously being uploaded via satellite straight to the Chief Minister’s Office and the departments of minerals and transport.

The Meghalaya government hopes to permanently stop the illegal activities of overloaded coal trucks crossing into Assam with the functioning of this smart check gate.

North Garo Hills is the first to get such a hi-tech system operational in the state. This is because coal from Nangalbibra in South Garo Hills moves through Dainadubi into assam.

Another such gate is in the offing in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region where coal is also extracted and shipped to assam.