Toll Plaza made operational without completion of project
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Dec 7: Within 24 hours, vociferous resistance by the local commuters forced National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to suspend collection of toll at newly established Toll Plaza on Jammu Ring Road in Sohanjana, here today.
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Project Director NHAI, Rajiv Kumar confirmed to the Excelsior that collection of toll at Ring Road Toll Plaza has been temporarily suspended to avoid any law and order problem, keeping in view anguish among a few commuters.
Local commuters were up in arms against sudden operationalization of the newly established Toll Plaza on the Ring Road despite non-completion of the road project and also without raising required facilities before collection of the toll.
As the commuters registered their strong resentment against the ‘unjustified’ collection of toll and held a demonstration at the Toll Plaza, MLA Marh, Surinder Kumar reached the spot and joined them.
Sensing trouble, Manager at the Toll Plaza agreed to suspend collection of toll till completion of the entire project and other formalities like exemption to the locals following which the protesters dispersed with a warning to the NHAI.
“We have warned the NHAI against operationalization of the Toll Plaza till completion of entire Ring Road project, creation of mandatory facilities and compensation to the land owners,” said MLA Surinder Kumar, adding that any attempt to re-start collection of toll before fulfilment of the required conditions would invite more vigorous protests by the people.
Pertinent to mention that 57- kilometre long Ring Road from Raya Marh is yet to be completed with its crucial stretches like Bhalwal to Nagrota Jagti still under construction.
Even as a Toll Plaza is already proposed to be established on the Ring Road at Sohanjana, under the jurisdiction of Police Station Satwari, local commuters were astonished when the NHAI suddenly start collecting toll from the vehicles passing through the point since yesterday.
Unexpected operationalizing of the Toll Place triggered strong resentment among the local commuters, some of them even refusing to pay the ‘unjustified’ toll and confronting with the staff deployed there.
“Without completion of the road and creating required facilities like washrooms etc, NHAI has started collecting toll from the commuters, which is not acceptable,” they said, adding that even locals residing nearby were also forced to pay the toll. The frequent confrontations between the local commuters and the Toll Plaza staff since yesterday led to high voltage dramas amid deployment of Police at the spot.
As MLA Marh Surinder Kumar joined the protesting commuters this afternoon, Manager of the Toll Plaza agreed to suspend their operations following which the vehicles were allowed to move without paying toll.
When contacted, Project Director NHAI, Rajiv Kumar told the Excelsior that collection of toll at the Ring Road Toll Plaza has been temporarily suspended for avoiding any law and order problem. “As some commuters are not cooperating, we have requested the local administration to assist in re-starting and smooth functioning of the Toll Plaza,” he added.
In response to the public grievance that the Toll Plaza was made operational without completion of the Ring Road and exemption to the locals residing nearby, Rajiv Kumar said that the NHAI was identifying the locals residing within 20- kilometre from the Toll Plaza for issuance of passes to them while the current toll amount was fixed for 48 –kilometres of the road only, which has been completed.
As per the chart displayed at the Toll Plaza, NHAI has fixed toll of Rs 130 (one way) and Rs 195 (to and fro within 24 hours) for Light Motor Vehicles; Rs 210 and Rs 315 for Light Commercial Vehicles; Rs 440 and Rs 655 for Bus/Truck; Rs 480 and Rs 715 for Commercial vehicles (Three axies) and Rs 835 (one side) for oversized vehicles.
Earlier, Bharat Bhushan Bodhi, Chairman of the District Development Council (DDC) Jammu, also termed the NHAI decision of collecting toll as hasty and unjustified. “It is highly inappropriate to operationalize a toll plaza when the project it is meant to serve remains incomplete,” Bodhi said, adding that the Ring Road, which was envisioned as a game-changer for decongesting Jammu’s traffic and improving connectivity, is far from finished.
The DDC Chairman warned that such premature actions undermine public trust in developmental initiatives. “The people of Jammu have high hopes from projects like the Ring Road, but such unplanned toll collection only adds to their frustration. Let us not turn progress into a burden for our citizens,” he remarked, adding that development should ease lives, not complicate them.
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