Maharashtra Govt To Shut 22 Border Check Posts
Maharashtra Govt To Shut 22 Border Check Posts ( Representative Image )
Mumbai, June 30, 2025: In a significant reform aligned with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar has issued termination notices to 22 border check posts across the state. The decision marks the beginning of the end for these decades-old posts, long alleged to be centres of malpractice and delays in commercial transport.
According to a senior transport department official, the move follows central government directives aimed at promoting seamless interstate transport. “This will remove physical barriers and streamline goods movement across state borders,” the official said.
Originally set up in 1966 to monitor vehicle movement, enforce transport regulations, and collect road taxes, the border check posts have lost their relevance in the age of digital monitoring and GST, said State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik. He explained that the introduction of online systems and e-surveillance has rendered physical checks largely obsolete.
The closure plan was also backed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and strongly supported by transporters’ unions, who had repeatedly raised concerns about corruption and inefficiencies at the check posts. A committee led by Commissioner Bhimanwar conducted a comprehensive study before recommending the shutdown.
However, the move comes at a cost. A private firm, which had been managing the check post infrastructure under an operational contract, will be compensated ₹504 crore. Once this payment is made, all technological and physical assets will be transferred to the transport department.
Bal Malkit Singh of the All India Motor Transport Congress welcomed the decision as a “landmark reform,” praising it as a step toward paperless operations, improved road safety, and a smoother logistics environment under the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ initiative.
