Announce date for scrapping Surathkal toll plaza, says samiti

Samiti members and others take out 11-km padayatra in support of their demand

The Surathkal Toll Gate Virodhi Samiti on Tuesday set a deadline of one month for the Union Government to announce the date for scrapping the toll plaza of the National Highway Authority of India, near the National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, on National Highway 66.

The samiti gave the ultimatum after the culmination of an 11-km-long padayatra by members of the samiti and other organisations from Hejamady Toll Gate to Surathkal Toll Gate on Tuesday.

“We will give one month time to Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel and Udupi MP and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje to announce the date of closure of this toll gate. We need a definite date from the two MPs,” said DYFI State president and convenor of the samiti Muneer Katipalla.

Mr. Katipalla said that people have been given false promises on the closure of the toll plaza in the last six years. The recent reported statement of Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari that the toll plaza will be shifting to New Mangalore Port Authority premises is another lie as there is no official communication in this regard.

“People cannot be fooled forever. We will take this fight to its logical conclusion. If there is no announcement of the actual date of closure of the toll gate, we will not hesitate to take the law into our hands and close the toll plaza,” he said.

Earlier, a large number of people turned up for the padayatra called by the samiti. The padayatra started from NHAI’s toll plaza at Hejamady at 9.30 a.m and concluded at Surathkal at 1 p.m. Among those who took part in the padayatra included the former MLAs Vinay Kumar Sorake, K. Abhayachandra Jain and B.A. Mohiuddin Bava.

Among others who took part in the padayatra included members of Udupi Taximen Association and Nagarika Kriya Samiti, Hejamady.