Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Feb 16: In a letter addressed to union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, demand has been made by citizens of Mangaluru to take immediate action over the illegal collection of toll at NITK, Suratkal on NH 66.
"We wish to bring to your kind notice that this toll gate is located within the limits of the corporation of the city of Mangaluru, moreover, there is one more toll gate at Hejamady which is less than 15 km north of the above mentioned Surathkal toll gate. Two toll gates within a distance of 15 km for whatever reasons are against all tenants of natural justice and causing great hardship and burden to not only the employees and citizen who have been commuting to and fro to various locations within the city for generations but also to self-employed people living in the city who operate small commercial vehicles to eke out a living in these difficult times. With the steep increase in fuel prices, day by day people are struggling to make a normal living and these kinds of illegal tolls are beyond their means," the letter stated.
The letter also listed demands of the citizens which includes cancellation of illegal toll at NITK, Surathkal, depositing the money collected by NH at the illegal toll back to MCC for development of service roads and proper lighting all along the NH that pass through the city, dismissing corrupt officials who are responsible for misleading the department and tendering the collection of toll at NITK etc.
The letter was submitted to BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.