No hike in toll fee at Hejmady for now, says Minister V. Sunil Kumar
The Hindu
Minister points out that said the government (that of the Congress) in 2012 had allowed toll collection at Surathkal till 2035
Minister for Energy, Kannada and Culture V. Sunil Kumar said on Saturday December 3 that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) should not increase the fee at Hejmady toll plaza until the row over toll fee merger is resolved at the level of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in Delhi.
Mr. Sunil Kumar, Udupi MLA K. Raghupathi Bhat and Kaup MLA Lalaji R. Mendon, Karnataka State Permanent Backward Classes Commission Chairperson K. Jayaprakash Hegde, Deputy Commissioner M. Kurma Rao M., Superintendent of Police Akshay M. Hakay participated in a meeting with NHAI officials to discuss the issue.
Speaking to mediapersons in Udupi after the meeting, Mr. Kumar said that people’s representatives objected to the move of the NHAI to merge the toll fee that was being collected at the erstwhile Surathkal toll gate on National Highway 66, with the usersfee being collected at Hejmady on the same highway. The participants said that the move of the NHAI is unscientific.
The meeting discussed the consequences of merging the toll fee, he said.
Mr. Kumar said that S. Angara, minister in-charge of Udupi district, who participated in the meeting through video conferencing, will take up the matter with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
“I will also speak to the Chief Minister on the matter next week,” said Mr. Sunil Kumar who represents Karkala in the Assembly and is in charge of Dakshina Kannada district.
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