Surathkal toll gate issue: Massive protest on Feb 28th

• Demand to close Surathkal toll gate

Mangaluru: The committee fighting against the Surathkal toll gate has organized a public met and a massive protest on Feb 28^th in front of the toll gate at NITK demanding that the illegally functioning toll gate be closed, the action to collect toll from locals must be stopped and the construction of a new bridge at Kuloor must be started immediately.

The information was provided by Muneer Katipalla, convener of Nagarika Horata Samithi at a press meet on Tuesday.

Amidst the intensive protest by the local people, the toll gate near NITK was started on a temporary basis with assurance that it would be merged three months later with the Hejmady toll gate. But, even months passed by after the toll gate was opened at Hejmady which is only 9 kms away, the toll gate at Surathkal was not closed and continued to collect toll illegally. The Surathkal Tollgate Virodhi Committee has been continuously fighting against this illegal functioning since the last two years. Because of our fight, National Highway Authority had decided to merge NITK toll gate with Hejmady toll gate and approval was received for the same from the state government during a meeting in Bengaluru on Jan 3^rd 2018. Even after this, the toll gate has not been shifted and the contract has been renewed for toll collection on temporary basis, he explained.

Only assurances!

An indefinite protest was held on Oct 22^nd opposing the illegal toll collection at Surathkal. On that occasion, the deputy commissioner and in-charge minister U T Khader had assured that a state level meeting would be held with the highway authority to resolve the issue and requested that the protest be pulled back. On the same occasion, MP Nalin had given a public statement that instead of merging the toll gate, it would be cancelled. Yet, no action has been take in this connection, alleged Muneer.