Bantwal, Dec 5: Political parties and local groups protest against the new tollgate that has started functioning at Brahmarakootlu on national highway 75. By the pressure of protestors toll collection stoped at Panemangalore on Thursday December 5 .
As per the directives of the highway authority, toll collection was to be started from the midnight of December 4 as a consequence of which vehicle drivers till Panemangalore bridge would be charged toll at two different places within a distance of 4 kilometers. While toll collection at Brahmarakootlu has started, the toll collection at Panemangalore that existed for the last ten years is set to continue. This has become a subject of much debate.
The national highway authority said that the toll collection at Panemangalore would stop once toll plaza at Brahmarakootlu starts operating, but now both the tollgate started operating. This made all the people and the drivers made angry.
The authority has called special technicians from Belgaum and installed computers at the toll plaza. Speed breakers were constructed on Wednesday December 4 near the toll plaza to control speed.
Objections by political parties and associations:
Soon after the notification was issued from national highway authority regarding the collection of toll from December 4 midnight, Bantwal BJP, SDPI and South Kanara tourist and van drivers’ association expressed strong opposition to the move and threatened to protest against it.
Thungappa Bangera, former zilla panchayat vice president said that collection of toll in two places was not fair and joined the protest to express his opposition.
The Bantwal BJP legislative assembly constituency has sent a petition to the deputy commissioner requesting to collect toll only in one place.
Social Democratic party of India also opposed the move and protested on December 5 led by party’s constituency committee president Sahul Hameed S H. They termed the collection of toll in two places as illegal and said that the move was bound to inconvenience the public.
The tourist car and van drivers’ association of Panemangalore too has opposed the move, and has urged to remove the new tollgate and to collect toll at only one place. The association has threatened to go on protest on December 10.
Taluk Panchayat vice president Anand Shamburu, BJP leaders Ramdas Bantwal, Sulochana G.K. Bhat, Dinesh Bhandary, Purusha N Salyan, Purusha Salyan Narikombu, Ronald D Souza Amchadi, Devappa Poojary, Dinesh Amtoor, ramesh Kudumer, Ramnath Rayi were took part in the protest.
