Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Mar 31: The government website shows that a tender has been floated for toll collection at Surathkal NITK tollgate for the next one year. Moreover, all the six tollgates in the coast have upwardly revised the toll charges from April 1. The rates have been hiked by about nine percent.

The tender mentions the annual bid as Rs 49.05 crore. The tender invite was posted in the Central e-procurement portal on March 23 and the last date of the tender has been mentioned as 11 am on April 13. The tenders will be scrutinized on April 18, as per the tender notification signed by K V Singh of NHAI central office.

The tender announces 25 percent concession for vehicles which return through the gate within 24 hours.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari had said in the parliament that tollgates located within 60 km distance would be scrapped. It was also said that the NITK tollgate would be shifted inside the New Mangalore Port Trust. Now people claim that Gadkari's reference was only to those roads where the same firm executed the contract. Therefore, one out of the three gates, Talapady, Hejamady or Sastan, might be removed. It is also being analysed that either the gate at NITK Surathkal or Brahmarakootlu might be taken away.

It may be recalled that several organizations had held a mega protest recently demanding the cancellation of Surathkal NITK toll plaza. MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and other leaders had promised to meet the demand and when Gadkari came here, a memorandum on the issue had been presented to him.