Day 7 of stir against Toll Gate; Protesters set deadline of October 31

by news
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October 28, 2018

Mangaluru: The ongoing protest organised by Anti Tollgate Action Committee against the functioning of toll plaza near NITK Suratkal has reached the seventh day on Sunday, October 28.

Meanwhile, protesters have given a deadline of October 31 to remove the tollgate and cautioned of stopping the toll collection if the government fails to do so.

Though the protesters demanded MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to interfere and take immediate measures to shut down the tollgate, Nalin did not show even a courtesy to visit the protest venue, which left the protesters unhappy. Nalin’s recent statement that toll collection was started when UPA government was at the centre has irked them further.

Despite several protests to shut down the toll plaza at NITK Suratkal, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has refused to oblige. Though another toll plaza is operating at Hejamady, which is located just 10 km away from the NITK toll plaza, the Highway Authority has been collecting toll at both the tollgates, very much in violation of the norms.

Though the NHAI had earlier agreed to merge the NITK plaza with that in Hejmady, it has gone back on its words. Adding to commuters woes of paying the hefty toll, the highway is in a battered condition because of NHAI’s apathy. Protesters think that MP Nalin Kumar Kateel is ignoring people’s woes as well as not asking the NHAI to maintain the highway in a proper condition.

If Nalin is not able to stop toll collection, he should immediately resign

DYFI state president and committee convener Muneer Katipalla when contacted told Newskarnataka that toll collection was started at the tollgate near NITK Suratkal when BJP government came to the power in centre. Nalin Kumar Kateel has been alleging that tollgate was set up during the regime of UPA government and there is no role of BJP government in collecting toll. If MP is not able to shut down the tollgate at Suratkal, he should immediately resign, he said and added that the public would directly involve in stopping the toll collection if the government remains passive.

The protest has been receiving good response from the public. The representatives from various organisations have been extending their support to the ongoing protest.