Udupi: The National Highway Awareness Committee has legally put across its demand for exemption of toll collection until the completion of service roads, bus stops, lavatories and other amenities on the National Highway 66, said Pratap Shetty, Committee President. He was speaking to media persons at Udupi Press Club on February 13.

“During our protest against the toll collection, the Brahmavar Special Tahasildar visited us and gave assurance to look into our various fundamental demands and had temporarily suspended the toll collection for KA 20 vehicles up to February 25”, he said.

He added that the company would commence collecting toll from February 25 but demanded that the same be suspended for KA 20 vehicles till a meeting was convened with the Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka. During a meeting of MP Shobha Karandlaje and NHAI with the Navayuga Construction Company officials an instruction was given to not collect the toll till the meeting with the Chief Secretary, he disclosed.

The National Highway Awareness Committee, Sasthan has demanded that service roads, bus stand and other amenities are provided before starting to collect the toll. The people who are living in the proximity of 20 Kms should be given exemption as they are regular commuters, he further said.

Pratap also warned that unless the demands were met, the National Highway Awareness Committee would launch a severe agitation against the toll collection.

Vittal Poojary, Secretary, Moses Rodrigues, Vice President, Achyut Poojary and Alwyn Andrade, President of Rotary Club were present during the press meet.