The Toll-Gate Virodhi Horata Samithi, Surathkal, has urged the general public to defeat incumbent MP Nalin Kumar Kateel in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections as he has directly been “responsible for the illegal toll collection” at NIT-K, Surathkal, Toll Plaza on NH 66.
In a communiqué here, samithi convener Muneer Katipalla said that the toll plaza was given permission to collect toll on a temporary basis for three months amid opposition from the general public in 2015.
Though the authorities had promised to merge the toll booth with the Hejmady toll plaza once it was completed, the merger never happened and the illegal fleecing is continuing till date, he said.
While the samithi has been fighting against the illegal toll collection for two years, NHAI’s resolution to merge it with the Hejmady plaza has not been given effect to so far. The samithi had held numerous protest meetings and an 11-day dharna opposing the toll booth and not once Mr. Kateel did raise his voice against toll collection, Mr. Katipalla said.
Instead, he went on giving hollow promises to the people. Due to his inaction, the samithi had to hold a series of protests demanding restoration of the national highway stretch between Surathkal and Nanthoor.
If the MP had acted properly, the Surathkal toll booth could have been closed down in a week; but his inaction has forced vehicle users to pay toll twice within a distance of 9 km. As such, people should vote against him, Mr. Katipalla said.
