DERA GHAZI KHAN, May 27: The truck owners and contractors involved in sand and stone transportation from Sakhi Sarwar hills have complained against alleged overcharging of excise duty on specified minerals as there is no weighbridge on Dera-Quetta road.

The truck owners and contractors had blocked the road to protest against the overcharging and an ‘unjust’ increase in the duty imposed about a month ago. As a result, Sakhi Sarwar police had booked 23 people under section 379 and 218 of the Mineral Act-2002 on the report of deputy director of the Mines and Mineral department.

One of the contractors, Qasim Qaisrani, who is on bail, complained that raise in the excise duty from Re1 per metric ton to Rs5 was unjust.—Correspondent