Protest staged against toMembers of the public, under tll collection at Sasthana

Members of the public, under the aegis of National Highway Jagrathi Committee, Udupi district, staged a protest, blocking the national highway on Wednesday. They demanded cancellation of proposed toll collection at Sasthana toll gate from December 2.

Addressing a gathering at the protest rally, Prathap Shetty, president of National Highway Jagrathi Committee, Udupi district, said that Navyug Company, which is in-charge of the construction of national highway, has decided to initiate the toll gate collection.

He said the decision is unethical as the company has failed to offer appropriate infrastructural facilities in the region. There are no footpaths, adequate drains and telephone connections set up in the area.

Besides, the company, which had destroyed the connective stretches has failed to repair the stretches stating that the roads are not under its jurisdiction of the work. The company has not constructed flyovers in Ambalapadi, Kota Murkai, Basrur junction, he said.

He said that when it rains, water remains inundated on the stretches and the public have to struggle to clear the artificial floods in the area. There are no street lights on the streets in regions like Sasthana, Saligrama, Kota, Brahmavar and Katpady.

He said the exiting bus shelters were destroyed in the process of constructing roads and after the work was completed, the company has not built any bus shelter along the stretch.

District Lorry Owners’ Association president Rajesh Kaveri said the land losers have been still suffering as they have not been offered compensation. He said the incomplete work at Padubidri Junction has been affecting the traffic in the area.

The company was supposed to hand over the completed stretch in 2013. Due to inappropriate construction and irregularities in the work, accidents have become common phenomena in the area.

He demanded that the vehicles with Udupi registration (KA 20) should be exempted from the toll. Unless the company performs all the works listed out as part of the work deal, the committee would not allow toll collection.

He said local residents have not been employed at the toll gate. The company deserves no right to collect toll owing to the incomplete work, he said. He demanded that there should be service roads built on either sides of the NH-66 at important areas.

The agitators blocked the NH stretch for sometime as part of the agitation.Navyug Company manager Raghavendra said that the proposal to collect toll is yet to be sent to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). It can happen only after the approval from NHAI. The process would take one to one and half months. He said almost all works are completed as per the agreement.