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Mangaluru: Demanding to shut down the toll plaza at NITK Suratkal, the members of Anti Tollgate Action Committee has planned to organise a Padayatra (protest rally) from Kuloor Junction to toll plaza near NITK Suratkal on September 26 at around 9.30 AM.
Convenor of the committee Muneer Katipalla told mediapersons here on Wednesday said, “The bus and lorry drivers’ union, autorickshaw drivers’ union, online taxi union among others will be taking part in the protest rally. The Padayatra will commence from near Kuloor junction at around 9.30 AM and it will reach NITK, Suratkal at around 1 pm. A huge protest meeting will be organised after Padayatra in which hundreds of public expected to participate”, he said.
“Despite several protests to shut down the toll plaza at NITK Suratkal, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) refused to shut down. Though another toll plaza is operating at Hejamady, which is located just 10 km away from the NITK toll plaza, Highway Authority is refusing to shut down the same. According to the guidelines, there should be at least 10 km distance between two toll plazas. However, the Highway Authority is collecting the fare illegally by operating two toll plazas within the distance of only 10 kms,” he said.
Informing about the problems related to the highway Muneer said, “The highway stretch between Nanthoor and NITK Suratkal is completely in a pathetic condition. There is no proper service road also, between Nanthoor and Suratkal. Though memorandums have been repeatedly submitted so far, no action has been taken so far”, he lamented and demanded that the toll collection in NITK Suratkal be stopped immediately.
Corporators Revathi Putran, Dayananda Shetty, District President of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) B K Imthiyaz, Social Activist Rajesh Shetty Padre, President of Jayakarnataka (Suratkal zone) Y Raghavendra Rao and Kulai Civilian Committee President Bharath Shetty Kulai among others were present.
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