: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has temporarily halted the construction of the toll plaza at Container terminal after the Mulavukad islanders staged a protest here on Monday.
The islanders’ four year-old fight for a service road parallel to the Container Terminal Road reached another flashpoint when the protestors organised under the Mulavukad Janakeeya Vikasana Samithi forcibly stopped construction works and appeared determined not to let it resume unless there is any perceptible progress on their two principle demands.
“We want an assurance in writing about our demands for a service road and exemption of local residents from toll. Resumption of toll plaza works is out of question unless that happens,” said M.F. Fahad, convener, of the Samithi.
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Discontent had been brewing among the populace for quite a while over the lethargic response of NHAI and authorities concerned to their demands. The Samithi members had recently met district collector M.G. Rajamanickam to apprise him of the situation and had warned of disrupting the toll plaza works.
Though the district collector had promptly taken up the issue with the Goshree Islands Development Authority, nothing had been forthcoming leaving us with few options, Mr. Fahad said. The Samithi had also given a memorandum on the issue to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy when he had come to attend a programme at Bolghatty on Sunday.
Mr. Fahad alleged NHAI of deviating from the original alignment for the proposed service road to shrink off the responsibility. As per the initial alignment along the NHAI land, the road could have been constructed for Rs. 9 crore with little need for acquisition under the revised alignment outside the NHAI land the investment has gone up to Rs. 15 crore.
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Discontent had been brewing among the populace for quite a while over the lethargic response of NHAI and authorities concerned to their demands.