Farmers, lorry owners, weavers, and the public staged a protest for about two hours at Karumathampatti on Saturday demanding suspension of toll collection at Kaniyur.
According to the organisations that organised the protest, development of the National Highways stretch from Chengapalli to Neelambur and from Madukkarai to Walayar is a single project.
The High Court had issued orders that the entire project should be completed by the end of December last year.
However, the flyover work at Neelambur (which is part of the project) is yet to be completed and 30 per cent to 40 per cent works remain incomplete on the Madukkarai – Walayar stretch.
In such a situation, toll should not be collected at Kaniyur. There is no progress of works at Neelambur or on Walayar road, said Nandakumar, an advocate.
He added that the penalty the concessionaire should pay to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for delay in completing the project should be remitted immediately and only then should there be toll collection.
Further, toll should not be collected from all those residing within 20 km radius from the toll gate and toll should not be collected at the toll gates across the country from farmers.
“We plan to submit a memorandum to the Union Ministers (for surface transport) and if there is no progress, we will gherao the toll gate at Kaniyur and the office of the NHAI here,” he said.
