Farmers plan protest against toll gate

The Thamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangham plans to organise a protest here shortly against the toll gate on the proposed road from Kangeyampalayam to Mettupalayam.

The farmers’ association State president M. R. Sivasami told presspersons here on Wednesday that their demand was removal of the toll gate.

“The main aim of the existing alignment for the proposed road is the location of the toll gate,” he said.

The main Coimbatore — Mettupalayam road will have the bypass intersecting it in three locations. The National Highways Authority of India has proposed the toll gate at Bilichi now.

The State Government wants it further away from the city. The 60-km bypass road was proposed more than five years ago and the project cost was estimated to be about Rs. 600 crore then. It would have escalated now.

The toll to be collected would be high when the project would be completed. By having the toll gate on the main Coimbatore-Mettupalayam Road all the daily users of the road would have to pay the toll even if they did not use the bypass.

Further, there were several vehicles transporting vegetables and other goods to the city or from the city to The Nilgiris and these used the main road. These vehicles would also pay the toll every day and they would pass on the extra cost to the consumers.

“We are against the toll gate for the project, irrespective of its location,” he said.