Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Mar 1: Huge public support was observed in the 'Janagraha Sabhe' organized by the Tollgate Virodhi Horata Samiti, Suratkal in front of the Suratkal Toll gate, urging to remove the toll gate and also to recall the decision of taking toll from March 1 for local vehicles.

Representatives of more than 30 associations and organizations voiced their opinion in the meeting. The decisions that were taken by the public in the meeting are the closure of the tollgate needs to be vacated immediately as per the decision already taken by NHAI. Till the time, the tollgate is closed; toll should not be collected from the local vehicles. If the toll is collected from the local vehicles from March 1, despite the demand made by the public, protest will be carried out without paying the toll. The people in the meeting also decided to go to any extent to prevent the collection of toll from the local vehicles.

Munir Katipalla, convener of the Tollgate Virodhi Horata Samiti, who gave the introductory speech, said, "It is the utter failure of MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to allow the tollgate at Suratkal to function even after the decision was taken to close the same a year ago. The statement given by MLA Bharat Shetty that he will break the tollgate if the toll is collected from the local vehicles is not correct. MLAs and MPs should be able to implement the law and rules. If the people's representatives would have performed their duties properly, there was no need for the vehicle riders to get on the road and protest for the waiver of toll fee. The tollgate would not be in existence at all. At least now, the MLA should join hands with the MP and implement the decision taken to close the Suratkal toll gate."

Former MLA Vijaykumar Shetty, Former minister Abhaychandra Jain, former president of KaSaPa Harikrishna Punaroor, former mayor Hilda Alva, president of Mulki development citizen committee, Harish Putran, social worker and lawyer Dinesh Hegde Ulipadi, Corporators Purushotam Chitrapur, Dayananda Shetty, Revathi Putran, member of Mulky city panchayat Puttumonu, members of gram panchayat Aboobacker Bava Jokatte, Mayyaddi Pakshikere, prominent personalities of Toll gate virodhi horata samiti Y Raghavendra Rao, Moosabba, Rahim Pakshikere, Rajesh Shetty Pedre, Rashid Mukka, DYFI leaders Santhosh Bajal, Naveen Konchady, Ajmal Ahmed, Asha Boloor, I Mohammed, B K Maqsood, Mustafa Baikampady, district Mahila Congress president Shalet Pinto, district president of youth Congress Mithun Rai, CPM leaders Sunil Kumar Bajal, Vasudev Ucchil, KPCC secretary Vasant Bernard, Mulky block Congress president Dhananjay Mattu, members of Suratkal Nagarika Samiti Subhashchandra Shetty, Raghavendra T N, Mahabala Rai, Vishnumoorthi, Pushparaj Shetty Kudumboor, member of Mulky development citizens committee Madhu Achari, Vinod Salian, Sadashiv Hosadurga, JD (S) leaders Iqbal Ahmed Mulky, Riaz Karnad, Noorulla Mulky, Aziz Suratkal, Jokatte citzen committee members Kavita, Silvia Jokatte, Iqbal Jokatte, INTUC district leaders Manohar Shetty, Bondala Chittaranjan Shetty, DK taximen and Maxicab union president Dinesh Kumpala, executive president Pramod Ullal, Online taxi union leaders Satyendra Shetty, Munavar Kuthar, Altaf Ullal, members of Kulai citizens committe, Bharath Shetty, Gangadhar Banjan, Rafik Kulai, poet Hussain Katipalla, leaders of Mahila Congress Shakuntala Kamath, Cynthia D'Souza, Sakina Krishnapura, Philomena Hosabettu, Mamata Shetty, Baikampady citizen committee members B Mayyaddi, Sharafuddin, Ilyas, members of Suratkal market businessmen association M Sherif Cheriyonu, members of Muslim Seva Samiti Hamid Katla, president of Mukka Masjid Abdul Razak, secretary Ummer Farook, members of Kiliriya young mens committee Imtiyaz Idya, Umesh Poojary Padre, Salim Katipalla, Saifulla Katipalla, Ashraf Safa Krishnapura, Ibrahim Krishnapur, Kinnigoli Lorry owners' association member Aboobaker Guthakadu, Raghuram Punaroor, Deepak Kamath and others were present.

Joint convener of the committee B K Imtiyaz welcomed the gathering and compered the programme. It was decided in the meeting to get together near the Suratkal tollgate at 8 am on March 1 and to protest in case toll is collected from the local vehicles.