Walayar checkpost in Palakkad district empty after introduction of GST on 01/07/2017

Truck traffic through Walayar check-post was normal but there were no queues on 1st July 2017.

Goods vehicles coming from different parts of the country that entered the inter-state Walayar checkpost of Palakkad district in Tamilnadu - Kerala border after the introduction of GST on Friday (01/07/2017) mid-night were cleared in a few minutes. The drivers did not even have to bother getting down from their vehicles as they were allowed to pass through by showing the declaration documents they were carrying.

It was Khadar Babu who transited through the check post first on Friday midnight with cement from Andhra Pradesh. The commercial taxes department officials led by deputy commissioner K Suresh welcomed the first few vehicles that entered the check-post after the introduction of GST.

After showing the declaration documents the first vehicle was allowed to pass through the check post within a couple of minutes. Driver Khadar Babu was surprised at the speedy clearance and asked the officials whether there is no token system now.
The deputy commissioner replied in the negative. Passage through Walayar check post was considered a 'nightmare' by truck drivers.

In the first one hour, 120 vehicles passed through the check post. The counters were replaced by squads who made random checks.

The vehicles checked by excise and motor vehicles departments were cleared by commercial taxes department officials within two to three minutes, said an official. In the first six hours after the introduction of GST, from 12 midnight to 6 am, 448 vehicles passed through Walayar and from 6 am to 2 pm, another 350 vehicles were cleared. Every day around 750 to 900 goods vehicles passes through Walayar. The official said that the 140 officials working in the commercial taxes department at Walayar will be redeployed and 25 squads will be formed for the district.