Udupi: For the last six years, we have been protesting not to remove the tollgate, but to completely abolish the unauthorised toll being collected there. The decision to collect Surathkal toll fee at Hejamady is extremely unfair. The MPs and MLAs of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Districts were directly responsible for issuing such a Gazette Notification, said Convenor of the Anti-Tollgate Struggle Committee Muneer Katipalla.
Speaking to mediapersons in the City on Sunday December 4, he said that from February to October 28 this year, more than 10 meetings have been held by the Highways Authority of India, Dakshina Kannada, District Administration and the State Government. However, none of the MPs, Ministers In-Charge, MLAs from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Districts participated in any of these meetings, he said.
Further he said, “Even though so much money has been collected at the Surathkal Toll plaza, it has again been ordered to collect the toll illegally on the pattern of six to seven years ago. Now the decision has been made. But the MPs and MLAs of Dakshina Kannada District are not speaking and only Raghupathi Bhat’s voice is being heard from Udupi. I don’t know what the others are doing,” he added.
“We have already informed the Udupi District Administration. This proposal is unfair. We have suggested that a meeting should be convened immediately and the Highways Authority and the State Government should be informed about it,” he said.
