For decades, truck drivers transporting goods into West Bengal from neighbouring states said one issue troubled them constantly: the “Bhaipo Tax”. The term “Bhaipo”, which means nephew in Bengali, was politically used by opposition parties to refer to Trinamool Congress MP and the nephew of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee. According to truck operators and drivers, unofficial collections, roadside extortion, bamboo barricades and illegal checkpoints had become a routine experience on highways entering Bengal during the TMC era.
Truck drivers travelling through Jharkhand-Bengal border routes said highways were often filled with unauthorised “nakas” where money was collected from commercial vehicles. Drivers said that refusing to pay often led to harassment, threats, punctured tyres and damage to vehicles. Delays caused major losses, especially for trucks carrying vegetables, fish and other perishable items.
Truckers said two unofficial systems operated widely: the so-called “Bhaipo tax” and “danda tax”. Speaking about the issue, Federation of Truck Operators Association in Bengal general secretary Sajal Ghosh said, “Two types of unofficial levies were common in Bengal, Bhaipo tax and danda tax. Bhaipo tax has vanished. We want danda tax wiped out completely too.”
According to truck drivers, highways in districts such as Paschim Bardhaman and Purulia earlier had multiple bamboo barricades and illegal roadside collection points. “Every few kilometres, bamboo barricades blocked the road,” truck driver Ramesh said while speaking near Tulin in Purulia. “Ask for a receipt, and they turn hostile. Refuse payment, and they smash mirrors or puncture tyres.”
Another truck driver said, “If you refused, they stopped and harassed you for hours till you paid. That has stopped.” Drivers claimed the situation started changing after the new BJP government came to power in Bengal on May 9 and ordered action against illegal extortion checkpoints.
Amit Shah raised ‘Bhaipo tax’ issue during Bengal campaign
The issue had also become a major political talking point during the West Bengal Assembly elections. Union Home Minister Amit Shah attacked the Mamata Banerjee government over allegations of corruption and syndicate control.
Without directly naming Abhishek Banerjee, Shah had remarked during a public rally in December last year, Shah said, that under the current system, “only Bhaipo has the right to make money, not the common man.”
He also said that corruption and extortion had badly affected governance in Bengal. “Due to corruption under the Mamata Banerjee-led government in the state, development in West Bengal has stopped,” Shah said.
Talking about the syndicate system, he further stated, “After the Bharatiya Janata Party government is formed, no trader will have to pay any Bhaipo tax. We will completely end the syndicate system. The politicisation of administration and criminalisation of politics has become like a deep wound.”
Shah had also said that several central welfare schemes became victims of Bengal’s “toll syndicate” system. “Fear and corruption have become West Bengal’s identity for the last 14 years,” he had said.
Again reminding people of the promise, Shah, while addressing a public meeting in Balagarh village in Hooghly district in April this year, said, ‘Bengalis have to pay “Bhaipo Tax” to the TMC’s syndicate. Bid farewell to the Mamata government with Tata-Bye-Bye, and we will take care of straightening out the syndicate people.’
Himanta Biswa Sarma also spoke about ‘Abhishek Tax’
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had also publicly raised the issue during the election campaign in Bengal. In a video shared by India Today NE, Sarma claimed truck drivers travelling between Assam and Bengal often complained about paying what they called “Abhishek Tax”.
Speaking in Hindi, Sarma said, “When trucks travel between Assam and Bengal, I often ask truck drivers why prices are increasing. People tell me that in Siliguri, they have to pay something called ‘Abhishek Tax’ on every truck. I don’t know who Abhishek is, but they say they have to pay while entering and while returning, too.”
He further claimed, “Earlier, this was taken only from coal trucks, but later it has expanded to every truck. Thousands of rupees are taken from every truck owner. If this tax ends, prices in Assam and across the Northeast may also come down.”
BJP govt crackdown has improved highway movement
Following a regime change where the BJP assumed office in West Bengal and Suvendu Adhikari took oath on 9th May, the newly formed state government took decisive steps to address the highway extortion crisis. According to a report by The Times of India, the BJP government has now launched a crackdown against these illegal collection systems by TMC government after coming to power in Bengal.
After ousting Didi’s govt, BJP ends ‘Bhaipo Tax’ on truckers.
— The Frustrated Indian (@FrustIndian) May 20, 2026
Free movement for commercial vehicles as illegal toll collections are stopped.
District magistrates were instructed to dismantle the illegal collection points.
The report said district magistrates were instructed to dismantle “extortion nakas” and prevent their return. Truck operators claimed the effect became visible quickly, especially along NH-2 and nearby state highways, where bamboo barricades and roadside collection points had reportedly disappeared.
Truckers moving goods between Jharkhand, Bengal, the Northeast, and Bangladesh said highway movement has become smoother over the past few weeks. Around 50,000 trucks reportedly move through Bengal every day, making the state one of eastern India’s most important logistics corridors.
Drivers near the Jharkhand-Bengal border said traffic movement had improved significantly after the crackdown. With this crucial step, the BJP has officially put an end to the culture of bribery involving truck drivers and fulfilled a key promise made during the election campaign.
