Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP)
Bantwal, Apr 23: Brahmarakutlu toll plaza contractor G Gopalakrishna Melanta has said that National Highway Authority of India is solely responsible for the chaos at the toll plaza and their job is restricted tocollecting the toll and remitting it.
In a news conference held on Tuesday evening, April 22 at B C Road, he said that he has no partners and he is responsible for the income or loss out of the contract.
“I have undertaken toll collection contracts in several parts of Karnataka and performed the work efficiently and in a transparent manner and have remitted the payment due to the department promptly.I have obtained the contract for Brahmarakutlu toll plaza in a just way and the talk that the toll plaza is illegal is far from truth”, he said. He showed a copy of the authorization letter to the news
reporters.
“Nearly 81 people are employed in the toll plaza with no discrimination of religion, caste or creed. We hold meetings once in a week and direct the employees regarding their behavior. Their arrogance or indecency is getting recorded in the CC TV which is being scrutinized every week and disciplinary action taken against the guilty.
"It is true there is scarcity of basic needs and facilities here. We have written to the highway authority several times about it but have not received suitable response. We have constructed shelter for two buses out of our own cost but the highway authority has not kept their promises. We have full support to the protest on April 25 against the highway authority”, he said.
The highway authority only blames the election code of conduct and makes that an excuse. Though the grant is released, the highway authority has stated that the tender process is postponed.
Considering the assaults on toll plaza staff during the last one month, armed security is assigned at the place. Though we could not collect toll on April 19 due to protests, I have remitted the amount of Rs 2.5 lacs to the authority as usual. This amount was a loss for me, he said.
Contractor’s son Harsha Melanta was present during the press conference.