The 148-year-old toll collection system, which had been introduced by the British rulers in 1869 and which had continued even after the Independence in the Chakrata Cant area of Dehradun district, has ceased to exist with the GST regime having rolled out on Saturday. Notably, the people of the Chakrata region had been on the agitation path, demanding scrapping of the system. They had even moved court on the matter. However, the system had continued. Finally, it has come to an end once the GST regime has come into force. Although the people of the State are baffled over how to rise to the requirements of the GST regime the people of Chakrata sounded elated, pleasurably anticipating that the new regime would result in the prices of the essential commodities being slashed with the toll payment system being abolished.
They have reasons to be happy. Earlier, they had to pay 3.5 per cent toll tax on the actual prices of the products they bought as the traders used to pay toll while crossing the toll collection point.