Farmers have opposed the collection of toll on national highways (NH) and demanded that their vehicles and those of locals be exempted from collecting fee.
Protesting against the toll, which was being collected for the past few days, farmers, under the banner of State Sugarcane Growers’ Association, staged a dharna at the toll collection point on the NH in Gargeshwari near T. Narsipur town on Friday.
They questioned the authorities for collecting toll from farmers and locals when they have not constructed the service road for their convenience. “We use the NH for transporting our produce from the fields and farms and also for various reasons being the locals. How is it possible to pay the toll every time we pass through the toll collection point?” asked Attahalli Devaraj, who led the protest.
They warned of physically evicting the toll point if a decision was not taken to exempt farmers from paying the toll in the next few days. After the authorities assured to communicate their demands to the higher ups, the farmers called off the strike.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene have decided to hold a protest at the toll gate on NH 212 near Nanjangud on Saturday seeking waiver of fee and also an exclusive toll-free path for the farmers and locals to travel on the highway.
KRRS President Badagalapura Nagendra said in a statement that toll collection was illegal since vehicle owners had already paid tax to the transport authorities.
