Samiti decides to mount pressure to get NHAI to remove toll plaza

Members of Surathkal Toll Gate Virodhi Samiti on Wednesday urged MP, MLAs and other elected representatives to implement the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) 2018 decision to remove the toll plaza near NITK in Surathkal.

The members also urged elected representatives to ensure that the three-month temporary contract on collecting toll, which ends in April, should not be extended.

The members of the Samiti decided to intensify protests by writing letters to elected representatives, organising toll gate chalo, among others.

Members recollected that the toll plaza near NITK which began as a temporary toll plaza nine years ago continued to operate even after the Hejamady Toll plaza, located 9 km from NITK toll plaza, became fully operational.

The members felt that if MP Nalin Kumar Kateel had discharged his responsibilities effectively, the toll gate in Surathkal would have shut down within a month.

Samiti co-convenor Y Raghavendra Rao presided over the meeting. Samiti convenor Muneer Katipalla, former deputy mayor Purshottam Chitrapura, DSS district convenor Raghu Yekkaru, entrepreneur Dilraj Alva, DYFI district president B K Imthiyaz, Harish Pejavar, among others, also participated in the meeting.