Samiti warns black flag protest against Union minister

Members of Tollgate Virodhi Horata Samiti of Surathkal on Wednesday threatened to welcome Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari with black flags if the ‘illegal’ toll gate functioning in Surathkal was not closed down immediately.

Samiti Convener Muneer Katipalla said that a memorandum was submitted to Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to arrange a meeting with the Union minister during his visit to Mangaluru to flag-off national highway development works in the district on January 10.

The authorities had promised to merge the temporary toll gate in Surathkal with Hejamadi toll plaza located just 9 km away from Surathkal, he said.

"But the promises were not fulfilled even after the government wrote to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on closing down the toll plaza in Surathkal," he lamented.

“The toll gate in Surathkal was opened six years ago and toll was being collected in Surathkal on a temporary basis. In 2018, the NHAI took a decision to merge the Surathkal toll gate with Hajmadi plaza. Even MP Kateel made an announcement that the toll gate in Surathkal will be closed shortly. However, the toll plaza continues to collect toll from vehicles in Surathkal even after toll plaza became operational in Hejamadi,” he added.

“The contract to collect toll in Surathkal was renewed for three more months from December first week,” said Muneer.

“We have requested the MP to arrange a meeting with the Union minister. If the MP fails to arrange a meeting, then we will hold a black flag protest against the minister,” he warned.