Newskarnataka – Bantwal
Bantwal: G Gopalkrishna Melanta, Contractor of the Brahmarakootlu Toll Plaza has held the National Highway Authority solely responsible for any discrepancy in the toll plaza and that the only work of the contractor was to collect the toll as per the department orders.
Speaking to reporters at BC Road on Tuesday April 22, he said excluding the contract, he has no other partnership in the toll plaza. He said he had the experience of operating toll gates at various places since the past 22 years and that he had been making payments to the department regularly.
Refuting allegations that the Toll Plaza contract which he availed was unauthorised, he said everything has been according to the rule book. Melanta also produced before the media copies of the department order awarding him the contract.
He said the Toll Plaza had 81 staff irrespective of caste or creed and that meetings are held once in a week. All happenings in the Toll Plaza are recorded in the CCTV and the same is viewed once a week and action is being taken against those found guilty, Melanta informed.
Admitting that the Toll Plaza lacked basic amenities, Gopalkrishna Melanta said there has been no response despite several letters to the NHAI seeking better facilities.
He said he has constructed two bus shelters for the public near the Toll Plaza at his own cost and added that the NHAI had failed to keep up its promises. He also said he supported the April 25 bundh against the NHAI seeking to rectify the discrepancies tin the Toll Plaza.
To a question from the reporters, he said the department is citing elections as the reason for not fulfilling the demands and added despite release of grants, the tender process has been postponed on the pretext of elections.
