Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, Feb 10: After the four-day deadline given by the district deputy commissioner to take a decision on the issue of collection of toll charges at Gundmi tollgate ended, members of Heddari Jagruti Samiti and officials relating to the tollgate met on Thursday February 9 in an effort to break the deadlock.
There were discussions relating to extending some other kind of solution instead of meeting the demand for totally exempting vehicles from the district from payment of toll charges at this gate. But the Samiti members insisted that their demand is justified and insisted on meeting it. As a result, the negotiations broke down. Therefore, toll charges collection has resumed at midnight on Thursday, and the Samiti has planned to organize a huge protest at 10 am on Saturday.
Toll-related officials who met the members of the said Samiti on Thursday suggested to allow vehicles moving within five km radius of the tollgate to operate with a pass of Rs 150 but the members of the Samiti put forth the proposal of exempting vehicles from within certain gram panchayats located nearby. But the toll officials were not agreeable to this proposal. After the discussions ended in deadlock, the Samiti held a meeting on Thursday evening.
Members of Heddari Jagruti Samiti and locals, who discussed the issue, planned to check the toll collection process on Friday once the toll plaza begins to operate, and to hold a huge protest at 10 am on Saturday February 11. The meeting also decided to withdraw protest only after the earlier demands put forth by the Samiti are met.