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Toll gate controversy: High level meeting at B’luru fails

Udupi: A high level meeting which was organized at Vidhana Soudha Bengaluru with the aim to break the impasse over collection of toll charges at the plazas set up in Sasthan and Hejamady in the district on Thursday November 29 has failed to reach a mutually agreeable conclusion.

There is a strong opposition from the people and their representatives towards the collection of toll at the toll gates.

Rashtriya Heddari Horata Samiti members present at the meeting informed the media that Udupi district in-charge minister Dr Jayamala expressed strong reservations at the initiative undertaken by Navayuga Company to collect toll charges without completing works on national highway. She also pointed out the loads of work pending in connection to the national highway, they said.

Though PWD minister Revanna was pressurized to issue an order to the company on behalf of the government against collection of toll charges till the works are completed, the minister failed to take a decision and instead chose to wash his off the issue by stating that only the union government can take a stand on the issue as the state government is not vested with the power.

Udupi MLA, K Raghupati Bhat and leader of the opposition in the council, Kota Srinivas Poojary, who were present at the meeting, took Navayuga Company severely to task. They said that they are in support of the people who are agitating against collection of toll charges from local vehicles, and also about the half finished work of the highway.

They said that they would back the people against toll charge collection and sternly warned that police presence will not deter them. They further warned that if the company sticks to its stand on collection of toll from locals, they would not allow toll collection from any vehicle not matter where it comes from.

Since it became obvious that the meeting was not reaching any conclusion, the legislators along with the agitators walked out from the meeting assuring that they were determined to stop the collection of toll from local vehicles.