JAMTARA: For decades, drivers of commercial vehicles entering Bengal from Jharkhand faced a gauntlet of illegal levies and threats. Terms like “Bhaipo tax,” “danda tax,” bamboo barricades, and illegal nakas enforced by highway strongmen from alleged syndicates defined border crossings more than any signboard or toll gate. Trucks slowed, cash changed hands, and arguments invited threats, smashed rear-view mirrors, and punctured tyres. Delays wrecked delivery schedules and ate into earnings. That grind has abruptly eased.
Swift Action After Government Change
Days after the BJP assumed office in Bengal on May 9, the state government issued a zero-tolerance directive against “extortion nakas.” District magistrates were instructed to dismantle illegal collection points and prevent their return. Truckers report that the result is already visible. Key crossings along National Highway 2 and adjoining state roads, once choked under bamboo barriers and unauthorised toll booths, are now moving freely.
Drivers Report Sharp Drop in Harassment
Drivers transporting goods between Jharkhand, Bengal, the Northeast, and Bangladesh say harassment has dropped sharply over the past fortnight. Nearly 50,000 trucks move through Bengal every day, making the state a critical logistics hub connecting eastern India, the Northeast, and five transit points into Bangladesh.
“Two types of unofficial levies were common in Bengal — Bhaipo tax and danda tax,” said Sajal Ghosh, general secretary of the Federation of Truck Operators Association in Bengal, referring to Trinamool Congress MP and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee. “Bhaipo tax has vanished. We want danda tax wiped out completely too.”
Traffic Flows Smoothly at Key Crossings
At Rupnarayanpur near Jharkhand’s Mihijam crossing, truckers say traffic now moves without roadside collection. “It all shut down after May 4,” said e-rickshaw driver Tapan Das. Drivers described payments at multiple points across Paschim Bardhaman and Purulia districts. “If you refused, they stopped and harassed you for hours till you paid. That has stopped,” truck driver Vishal Roy said.
Truckers recalled highways lined with bamboo poles and enforcers. “Every few kilometres, bamboo barricades blocked the road,” said Ramesh, a driver resting at a dhaba near Tulin in Purulia. “Ask for a receipt, and they turn hostile. Refuse payment, and they smash mirrors or puncture tyres.”
Perishable Goods Carriers Breathe Easier
Perishable goods carriers say delays hit earnings hard. “Every hour matters for vegetables, fish, and other perishables, but those syndicates did not care if goods spoilt,” said Mohammad Akil Sonu, president of All Jharkhand Driver Trade Union.
The crackdown has brought immediate relief to thousands of drivers, restoring the flow of commerce and ensuring that Bengal's highways serve their intended purpose as arteries of trade, not sites of extortion.
