Hundreds join protest against Surathkal toll plaza

Mangaluru: Hundreds of people on Tuesday joined the protest called by the Surathkal toll gate Virodhi Horata Samithi (action committee) against the collection of tolls from the plaza, allegedly violating National Highway rules.

The activists gathered near the toll plaza demanding the immediate closure of the toll gate. A large number of police personnel, who were posted at the spot prevented the protesters form laying a siege of the plaza as was announced.

Police had placed barricades near NIT-K close to the toll gate where the protesters were blocked and took several people into custody.

The leaders of the action committee including DYFI state president Muneer Katipalla, B K Imtiyaz, Sunil Kumar Bajal and Congress leaders Ivan D’Souza, Shakuntala Shetty, J R Lobo, Moideen Bava, Pratibha Kulai, Shashidhar Hegde and Mithun Rai were taken into custody by the police.

The protest disrupted vehicular movement on the Highway for about half an hour. Police later made arrangements for the smooth movement of traffic.

The action committee had on September 13 given a deadline to the authorities to close the ‘illegal’ toll gate by October 18 and had threatened to remove it by themselves on the day.

Police had made elaborate security arrangements to prevent the protesters from indulging in violence.

A recent meeting held at the Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner’s office, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), had assured to resolve the issue within 15 to 20 days. However, the Samithi decided to move on with the planned protest, saying they had been given similar assurances several times in the past.

The NHAI had been collecting toll from the plaza for the last six years. The action committee against the toll gate terms it as 'illegal' as the nearest toll gate at Hejamadi is only 10 km away, while Highway rules stipulate that no two toll plazas should function between a distance of 60 km.