Mangaluru: Demanding the shut down of the toll plaza at NITK Suratkal, the members of Anti Tollgate Action Committee have planned to stage an indefinite dharna near the controversial plaza from October 22.
Anti Tollgate Action Committee Convenor and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) State President Muneer Katipalla told mediapersons on Tuesday, October 9 that despite several protests to shut down the toll plaza near NITK Suratkal, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) refused to shut down. Though another toll plaza is operating at Hejamady, which is located just 10 km away from the NITK counterpart, the NHAI is refusing to shut down the same. The committee has urged to merge the tollgate at NITK Suratkal with the one at Hejamady. However, the demand has fallen on deaf ears. Now, a fresh tender has been called for collecting toll at NITK Suratkal. If the toll collection Suratkal is continued, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel will be held responsible for this ‘illegal’ act”, he said.
Placing some other demands, Muneer said, “The highway stretch between Nanthoor and NITK Suratkal is completely in a pathetic condition. There is no proper service road as well, between Nanthoor and Suratkal. The district administration should not shut the old bridge at Kuloor under the pretext of constructing the new bridge, but it should be repaired immediately until the completion of new bridge construction”, he said and added that the indefinite dharna would continue till the toll collection was stopped.
Former deputy mayor Purushotham Chithrapur, Corporator Dayananda Shetty, DYFI District President B K Imthiyaz and other leaders Bharath Shetty Kulai, Rajesh Shetty Padre, M Dinesh Kumpala among others were present.
