Udupi, Nov 27: Demanding an end to collection of toll from local vehicles at Hejmady and Sasthan toll plazas in Udupi district, various organizations yesterday staged yesterday staged dharna in front of both plazas.
The protesters at Sasthan said that toll on local vehicles should not be collected till the meeting chaired by Minister for Women and Child Welfare Jaimala was held on November 28. As they sat before the toll plaza in Sasthan, officers from the Revenue and Police Departments tried to pacify them to no avail. Finally, they were taken into preventive custody and later released.
“The construction of service roads, underpasses and overbridges was still not done at many places from Hejmady to Kundapur by the Navayuga Udupi Tollway Pvt. Ltd, which had undertaken the work. Hence, it was wrong on its part to collect toll from local vehicles with registration number starting with KA 20.” said Pratap Shetty, president of the samiti.
At Hejmady, the police took protesters into preventive custody when they tried to lay siege to the toll plaza. They shouted slogans against the Navayuga company.
Deviprasad Shetty, president, Rashtriya Heddari Horata Samiti, said the National Highways Authority of India and Navayuga company were lying when stating that they had completed nearly 80% work of widening on the Hejmady – Kundapur stretch on NH 66. It was wrong on the part of Navayuga company to collect toll till the work remained incomplete. Till then, local vehicles should be exempt from the toll, he said.
Meanwhile, in an official press release issued here on Monday, the Additional Deputy Commissioner said Ms. Jaimala would chair a meeting on the works of NH 66 at the District Offices Complex on Wednesday.
Comments
Add new comment