Congress workers, pro-Kannada activists attempt to lay siege at Kaniminike near Bidadi, Sheshagirihalli near Ramanagar on the Highway
Mysore/Mysuru: Tension prevailed for over an hour as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) started collecting toll on 56-km section of Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway till Nidaghatta from 8 am today, with Congress workers, pro-Kannada activists and other organisations making a bid to lay siege to Toll Plazas on the Highway, bringing the traffic to a grinding halt. The issue flared up two days after Prime Minister Modi dedicated the Expressway on Mar.12 at Gejjalagere near Mandya, claiming that the BJP led NDA Government is building Highways across the country.
Activists of pro-Kannada organisations attempted to lay siege to the Plaza near Kaniminike in the outskirts of Bengaluru, only to be thwarted by heavy Policemen, who had turned the Plaza into a fortress.
The technical glitches at the Toll Plaza made FASTag redundant and forced the card holders to pay the toll by cash.
The payment of toll by cash irked the already charged agitators further, who demanded the authorities concerned to rectify the issues, before collecting the toll.
At another Toll Plaza near Sheshagirihalli, Ramanagar, a section of Congress party workers under the banners of District Youth Congress Committee, Ramanagar and Bidadi Block Congress Committee protested the collection of toll, besides raising slogans against BJP led State and Central Governments for imposing the toll even as the works on basic infrastructural facilities, mainly service road remain to be completed.
They sat in the middle of the Highway and held empty milk cans, waved black flags opposing the imposition of toll. They alleged that the toll is also high burning the pockets of commuters of private vehicles (cars, LMVs and HMVs).
The protesters also engaged in a wordy duel with the Police for sometime. As the agitators refused to budge, the Police had to detain some of them and whisked them away in two KSRTC buses, thus facilitating the traffic movement.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who claimed to be seized of the matter, said that he has also directed the authorities concerned to redress the issues.
It may be mentioned that NHAI had earlier decided to start collecting toll from Feb.28, but was deferred to Mar.14, in the wake of opposition from various quarters.
The toll on 118-km Expressway is expected to go up further, once the toll is introduced on Nidaghatta – Mysuru section too, the works of which are still ongoing, under the second package, in the coming days.
Toll packages
The vehicles have been categorised into six types. To travel on the Highway, car owners will have to pay Rs. 135 for a single trip on Bengaluru-Nidaghatta section, Rs. 205 for the return journey within a day. The toll for mini bus is Rs. 220 and for buses Rs. 460 (single journey).
This post was published on March 14, 2023 8:00 pm