Toll collection at Belman, illegal: BJP

• BJP holds protest against the proposed toll collection at Belman

Karkala: BJP protested against the state government for its move to collect toll charges from the commuters in Belman from October 15^th, on Friday October 5^th. The protest was held in Belman town under BJP Shakthi Kendra.

Karkala MLA V Sunil Kumar addressed the protestors and said, “The treasury of the state government is empty. Hence to fill its treasury, it has decided to extort toll charges from the commuters in state highways. The state government has decided to collect toll charges from vehicles moving on Padubidri-Karkala route in Belman from October 15. It is undemocratic. Already the state government has decided to impose Rs 2 cess on petrol causing inconvenience to the common man.”

“As per the guidelines of the central government, tollgates must have a gap of 50 kilometres. Whereas if a tollgate is opened in Belman, the commuters will have to pay toll charges in three places Hejamady, Suratkal and Belman with a distance of only 60 kilometres. This undemocratic and illegal way of collecting toll charges must be cancelled. Otherwise we will protest aggressively,” warned Mr Kumar.

“The state government has decided to collect toll charges three years after the road is constructed. When the road construction was proposed, there was no mention about toll collection. How they can all of a sudden decide to collect toll?,” he asked.