Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal
Bantwal, Mar 4: A large-scale protest was held on Tuesday at the Brahmarakootlu toll gate, demanding its closure on the grounds that toll collection has been carried out in violation of rules for the past 23 years. The first phase of the collective dharna was organised with the participation of like-minded organisations.
Addressing the protesters, former minister B Ramanath Rai alleged that the toll gate operated by the National Highways Authority has been collecting money illegally and has become a centre of extortion. He stated that the demand to remove the toll gate is justified. He further said that the toll gate has been constructed unscientifically in a location that does not qualify for such a facility and asserted that the agitation would continue until it is removed.
Social activist Munir Katipalla, speaking on the occasion, said that national highway development works have been ongoing in the district for the past 30 years, but the highway authority has never convened a grievance meeting. He alleged that the mandatory distance norms for toll gates have not been followed here. He pointed out that there is no service road, no flyover, and no underpass on this stretch. “If the authority claims that the investment made on this road has not been recovered, then we must ask who has taken the money collected here over all these years,” he questioned.
Prominent leaders present included M G Hegde, advocate Ashwin Kumar Rai, Suresh Kumar, secretary of Bantwal Saman Manaska Sanghatanegala Okkoota, Dalit Sangharsha Samiti district coordinator Sadashiva Padubidre, Sahul Hameed, farmer leader Rupesh Rai, CITU district president B M Bhat, INTUC district secretary Seetharam Berinje, labour leaders Sunil Kumar Bajal and Ramanna Vitla, senior leader Kavu Hemanath Shetty of Puttur, youth leader Suhail Kandak, Manjula Nayak of Samarasya Mangaluru, Mamata Gatti, committee coordinator Mohan Shetty, Padmaraj R Poojary, Pius L Rodrigues, Chandraprakash Shetty, M S Mohammed, Appi, Baby Kunder, Sohail Kandak, Umesh Kumar Y, Sridhar Shetty, Vasu Poojary, Ibrahim Nawaz, Sudarshan Jain, Ramakrishna Alva, Jospin D’Souza, Shailaja Rajesh, Sudip Kumar Shetty, Padmanabha Rai, Sadashiva Bangera, Lavanya Ballal, Ashraf Kallega, V Kukyan, Lukman Bantwal, DYFI district secretary Santosh Bajal, farmer leaders Sridhar Shetty and K Yadav Shetty, Abbas Ali, and Sadashiva Das, among many others.
The programme was conducted by agitation committee convenors B Shekhar and Mohan Shetty Panjikallu, along with leader Baby Kunder. B Shekhar read out the memorandum.
In B C Road, a massive collective dharna was organised under the banner of ‘Brahmarakootlu Toll Gate Removal Struggle Committee, Bantwal’ with the participation of like-minded organisations. A large number of people attended, strengthening the anti-toll gate movement. Representatives from secular parties and organisations, as well as farmer, Dalit, labour, and transport sector bodies, enthusiastically took part in the protest. Leaders from all taluks of the district, from Sullia to Mulki, participated and drew attention.
Community members Shyamaraj Patrume, Eshwari Padmunj, and Jayashree rendered songs opposing the toll gate during the protest.