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Talapady toll plaza staff take car owner ’for a ride’

Even as the row over collecting toll at the newly commissioned toll plaza at Talapady on NH-66 (Mangaluru-Kerala road) remains to be settled, a fresh row erupted on Tuesday, with the staff at the toll allegedly taking a vehicle owner for a ride.

Zaimal Abideen, a resident of Bokkapatna in Mangaluru was travelling in a car towards Kerala when he was stopped at the plaza around 1.20 pm. He paid the toll of Rs 35 and proceeded further. After travelling a distance, Abideen glanced at the ticket only to be taken aback that he was cheated. 

According to the copy of ticket released by him to the media, the number plate of the vehicle as mentioned on the ticket is false, while the timings is mentioned as 8.30 am. Not willing to let it go off easily, Abideen drove back to the plaza and enquired with the staff. While a staff member admitted to his mistake, the manager did not respond positively, alleged Abideen.

Meanwhile, a staff at the plaza clarified that he handed over the already printed ticket to avoid reprinting. According to him, Abideen had earlier demanded for the ticket for two-way journey. Accordingly, a ticket for Rs 50 was printed. In the meantime, Abideen had a change of mind and wanted to pay only for one-way journey. To avoid printing again, the staff handed over him already available ticket.

Following continuous protests against collection of toll, Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader, also the local MLA had convened a meeting at the DC’s office recently.

Representatives of Navayuga Udupi Tollway Private Ltd., who had been tasked with collection of toll at Talapady, also attended the meeting. It was eventually decided in the meeting to give exemption to vehicles within the radius of five km from the plaza. While non-commercial vehicles within 20 km radius (KA 19 and KL-14) have to avail monthly pass to avoid paying toll. The next meeting is scheduled on February 25 to find out a permanent solution.

Accordingly, the staff at toll gate are diligently verifying the registration certificate (RC) book of the vehicles to ascertain whether the vehicles belong to the owners of villages within five km of the plaza to extend the benefit for now.

Police protection at toll booths on NHAI fiat: DC

Says district administration bound by the pact between Centre, State

Deputy Commissioner T Venkatesh said that the district administration followed the instructions issued by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on providing police protection at toll collection booths.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Tuesday, the deputy commissioner said that the decision to initiate toll collection was taken at the meeting held by NHAI in September. As per the agreement signed by the central and state governments, the latter has to provide police protection when sought. The DC said the chief secretary would call the meeting shortly in state capital as informed by the district in-charge minister over the issue.

He added that on February 1, Navyug Constructions approached the district administration seeking police protection and if the district administration failed to do so, the company said it would sue the state government demanding compensation for the loss incurred as it has the permission from NHAI to collect the toll. 

He said that the company categorically declined to offer any relaxations to the vehicles with ‘KA-20’ registration. The toll was collected from the midnight of February 12. However, the company has agreed to offer concessions and charge Rs 110 up to five kilometers radius, while Rs 135 would be charged within a radius of 20 kilometer for locally registered vehicles.

‘Discharging duty’

Defending his action for imposing Section 144, the DC added that he was responsible to discharge the duty as per the agreement between the two governments. He added that in Udupi district the company has proposed to carry out work for 65.15 kilometers, of which work has already been completed on 58.15 kilometers. The work on 2.2-km stretch is pending in Kundapur along with a proposed flyover. In Udupi, work on one-km stretch and flyover at Karavali junction is pending while 3.3-km road work is pending in Padubidri.

The land acquisition work at Padubidri was delayed, as earlier underpass was proposed in the area. The land acquisition was taken up after the flyover plan was finalised recently. There are 545 building owners in the area who had been served with a notice on December 30 with a 60-day time. 

As per the agreement, the company has taken up 30.90 kilometers of the service road works although it can increase the stretch depending on the public requirements. The work on 14.50 km of service road has already been completed.

The meeting held on February 4, decided to set up a work assessment committee and accordingly the PWD engineer was put on task. The PWD principal secretary directed to provide police protection at the toll collection gates, he added.