Shillong, Feb. 19: The Meghalaya government has provided police escorts to 80 trucks plying from Shallang in West Khasi Hills to Rongjeng in East Garo Hills and then to Goalpara in Assam after the truckers were attacked last Sunday.

The residents of the area hurled stones at coal-laden trucks at Rongjeng in East Garo Hills and in retaliation, the truckers and their supporters torched a government bus in Shallang, compelling the state government to deploy additional forces.

West Khasi Hills superintendent of police M. Kharkrang today said the escorts were provided yesterday.

“We have so far escorted 80 trucks and there are no untoward incidents so far,” he said.

The West Khasi Hills and East Garo Hills police personnel escorting the trucks when they cross the districts.

The additional paramilitary forces are also assisting the police.

The truckers had earlier threatened that they would not ply the coal trucks because of continued harassment.

The residents of Rongjeng and NGOs said they had opposed the plying of coal trucks, as it had led to the deplorable condition of roads.

Initially, the district administration had allowed the trucks to ply along Rongjeng road to unload coal in Assam.

It was only recently that the truckers decided to take the alternate route from Rongjeng, after the Rabha residents at Boko opposed the plying of the coal trucks along the Riangdo-Aathiabari-Boko route.

The Rabha residents at Boko had said unless the government would repair the road, no coal trucks could ply along the route.