Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 3: Reiterating the demand to revise the rates of toll tax at Ban Toll Plaza, former MLA and NPP president Balwant Singh Mankotia along with his hundreds of activists gherao NHAI office at Channi, Jammu.
Panthers Party also staged a day-long protest dharna before gherao outside the office of NHAI. While leading protest dharna, Mankotia asked the Project Director NHAI to revise the rates of toll tax at Ban Toll Plaza and take up the issue with Union Ministry as urgent matter.
He informed that Panthers Party is deeply concerned over this issue and has submitted memorandum many times to concern authorities and continuously roaring on roads against hike in toll tax rate. Mankotia disclosed that last month when he had submitted the memorandum to Project Director NHAI, the latter had asked assured and appealed us to wait till new central Government formation because NHAI works under Union Government. “But after Government formation, the department has completely turned blind eye to this grave issue,” he added.
Mankotia said that few days back in an inaugural function of highway stretch at Kashmir, Governor Satya Pal Malik had stated that local Kashmiris will be exempted from toll tax. The NPP leader expressed his deep anguish over this continuous favouritism with Kashmir region and step motherly behaviour with Jammu region. He said that in Kashmir toll tax for 65 km stretch is Rs 135 (both sides) where as between 65 km long Udhampur-Jammu stretch it is Rs 200, which is injustice with the people of Udhampur.
The former MLA strongly batted for permanently removal of Ban Toll Plaza. He said that common man is already paying several taxes such as 15 years advance road tax on purchase of new vehicle. Then, why should common man has to pay another tax at toll plaza?, Mankotia asked.
He warns for aggressive agitation in future if appropriate action would not be taken soon.
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