Daijiworld Media Network - Kaup (SP)

Kaup, Feb 17: With the mandatory FASTag condition that has been enforced from midnight of February 15, the local vehicles which were exempted from paying any toll charges, have now been devoid of any concession.

Realising that they have to pay toll charges each time they pass through the gate, a strong protest under the leadership of Nagarika Samitis of Padubidri, Hejamady and Mulky was organized near the Hejamady tollgate on Wednesday February 17.

Addressing the protesters, former legislator Vinay Kumar Sorake noted that the concession extended to locals has been removed with the FASTag having been made mandatory.

"People who keep moving between Mulky and Padubidri will be facing lot of hardships.The people have sacrificed their valuable land for the development of national highway. Not only here, people of the twin-districts are also coming across similar problems at Sastan, Suratkal and Talapady toll gates. Preparations have been made to fight against the toll at Suratkal and Talapady," he stated.

On this occasion, a memorandum on behalf of the Nagarika Samiothis of Mulky, Hejamady and Padubidri, was submitted to National Highways Authority resident engineer, Mallikarjun, and officials of Hejamady tollgate, seeking exemption from toll for people living within a radius of six km from the tollgate. Police kept vigil on the law and order situation during the protest.

Hejamady Nagarika Kriya Samiti president, Shekhar Hejamady, Rolphi D'Costa, Haji Shekabba Kote, gram panchayat president, Pranesh, Mulky Nagarika Samithi president, Harish Putran,councillors, Puttu Bava, Subhash Shetty and others were present.