Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Sep 13: Surathkal Toll Gate Virodhi Samiti and likeminded organizations staged a protest at Surathkal toll gate on Tuesday September 13, demanding the government to announce a final date on which the toll gate would be closed.
It may be recalled that panel had taken out a protest rally from Hejmady to Surathkal toll gate to shit down the toll gate at Surathkal. Since then, the government has come up with a promise that the Surathkal toll gate will be merged with the toll gate at Hejamady. Union minister Nitin Gadkari had also ordered the shifting of Surathkal toll gate.
In August, the NHAI gave its nod to close Surathkal toll gate within a month. But they have not announced the date.
The delaying tactics for not announcing the date of Surathkal toll gate’s merger with Hejmady has made the Surathkal Toll Gate Virodhi Samiti to protest demanding the same.
The president of Dakshina Kannada Truck Owners’ Association had said that the union minister for highways and land transport Nitin Gadkari has given assurance to close Surathkal toll gate within 15 days.
Muneer Katipalla said, “The political leaders cannot be trusted with their promises. Since 6 years, Surathkal toll gate is illegally operating. Whenever we stage a protest, Gadkari and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel come up with a statement for the closure of the toll gate. It has been over 3 months and they have not announced the date to of closure.
“Many BJP leaders have earlier passed statements of demolishing the illegal toll gate. We urge the district administration or NHAI to announce the date of merging Surathkal toll gate with Hejmady toll gate by September 13 evening or else like-minded organizations will go forward to demolish the illegal toll gate on October 18. We invite all the BJP leaders who spoke about demolishing the toll gate to join us for the demolition,” said Muneer Katipalla.
He also stressed that the district administration or the NHAI should declare the date for the closure of the toll gate. “Though the toll gate is removed, the toll charges in other toll plazas should not be hiked,” he
added.
Mithun Rai said, “The question is why MP Nalin Kumar Kateel or MLA Dr Bharath Y Shetty have not joined the protest. This protest does not belong to any party as there is no party symbol shown in the protest.”
Former MLA Abhayachandra Jain, Mohiuddin Bava, Prathibha Kulai, M G Hegde, Santhosh Kumar Bajal, Imthiyaz Ali, Purushottam Chitrapur, Dinesh Ullepady, P V Mohan and others were present.