District magistrates were told to dismantle the illegal collection points JAMTARA: Bhaipo (nephew) tax. Danda tax. Bamboo barricades. Illegal nakas. Highway strongmen from alleged “syndicates” armed with sticks. For decades, drivers of commercial vehicles entering Bengal from Jharkhand said those words defined border crossings more than signboards or toll gates. Trucks slowed. Cash changed hands. Arguments invited threats, smashed rear-view mirrors and punctured tyres. Delays wrecked delivery schedules and ate into earnings. That grind has abruptly eased. Days after BJP assumed office in Bengal on May 9, the state govt issued a zerotolerance directive against “extortion nakas”. District magistrates were told to dismantle illegal collection points and prevent their return. Truckers said the result is visible already. Key crossings along NH-2 and adjoining state roads that once choked under bamboo barriers and unauthorised toll booths are now moving freely. Drivers transporting goods between Jharkhand, Bengal, the NorthEast and Bangladesh said 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, NE 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 TMC MP and former CM Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee. “Bhaipo tax has vanished. We want danda tax wiped out completely too.” At Rupnarayanpur near Jharkhand’s Mihijam crossing, truckers said 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 said 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.About the AuthorASRP MukeshASRP Mukesh holds over 15 years of journalistic experience. He covers government, politics, human interest stories from Jharkhand.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosTMC MP Saayoni Ghosh Reacts After BJP Leader’s Alleged Rs 1 Crore Beheading Remark‘The World Needs More Sambandh’: Iceland PM Kristrún Frostadóttir Praises PM Modi At Oslo SummitTMC Candidate Jahangir Khan Pulls Out Of Falta Re-Poll 2 Days Before Voting | Headlines@9Out On Bail, Rape Accused Gets Grand Welcome In UP’s GhaziabadKanpur: ITBP Soldier Carries Mother’s Severed Hand to Police HQ After Alleged Hospital NegligenceFrom Islampura Back To Krishan Nagar: Pakistan Moves To Restore Lahore’s Pre-Partition Names’New Sunrise’: Amit Shah Unveils Bastar Development Push, Slams Previous Congress GovtDelhi Court Rejects Umar Khalid’s Interim Bail Plea In 2020 Riots CaseTMC Candidate Jahangir Khan Withdraws From Falta Repoll Days After ‘Pushpa’ Face-Off10 Arrests, 3 States: Meet The ‘Masterminds’ Of NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak Now In CBI Custody123PhotostoriesJacqueline Fernandez turns Cannes 2026 into a vintage fashion fantasy with her glamorous sequin lookInside the Jolie-Pitt family: All about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s six childrenThink they’re polar bears? These 5 dogs can easily fool youDelhi records 44°C temperature: Ministry of Ayush recommends 12 foods and drinks for protection against heat-related illnessesVaping vs cigarettes: Why cancer doctors say young adults should stop believing the “safer alternative” mythSummer skincare tips: Natural ingredients to treat tanning and breakoutsMovies that were turned into popular web series: ‘LOTR,’ ‘Cobra Kai,’ ‘Dune: Prophecy,’ and moreInside Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Rs. 96 crore net worth: Bungalow named after his father, pay packages, cars and everything you need to know10 surprising facts about gharials that make them different from other crocodiliansMeet the eyelash viper: One of nature’s most striking snakes123Hot PicksSBI apprentice recruitment 2026US Iran warCBSE Class 12 re-evaluation 2026Gold price predictionAdani Group stocksNEET exam cancelledTamil Nadu assemblyTop TrendingTwisha SharmaJEE AdvancedFifa World Cup 2026Subnautica 2 Enameled Glass GuideWWE Raw HighlightsIPL 2026IPL Orange Cap 2026India VS Afghanistan Squad AnnouncementLeviathan in Subnautica 2Fuel Price Hike
JAMTARA: Bhaipo (nephew) tax. Danda tax. Bamboo barricades. Illegal nakas. Highway strongmen from alleged “syndicates” armed with sticks. For decades, drivers of commercial vehicles entering Bengal from Jharkhand said those words defined border crossings more than signboards or toll gates. Trucks slowed. Cash changed hands. Arguments invited threats, smashed rear-view mirrors and punctured tyres. Delays wrecked delivery schedules and ate into earnings. That grind has abruptly eased. Days after BJP assumed office in Bengal on May 9, the state govt issued a zerotolerance directive against “extortion nakas”. District magistrates were told to dismantle illegal collection points and prevent their return. Truckers said the result is visible already. Key crossings along NH-2 and adjoining state roads that once choked under bamboo barriers and unauthorised toll booths are now moving freely. Drivers transporting goods between Jharkhand, Bengal, the NorthEast and Bangladesh said 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, NE 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 TMC MP and former CM Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee. “Bhaipo tax has vanished. We want danda tax wiped out completely too.” At Rupnarayanpur near Jharkhand’s Mihijam crossing, truckers said 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 said 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.
