Daijiworld Media Network - Kaup (SP)

Kaup, Apr 2: On Thursday April 1, people from around Kanchinadka came together and blocked the survey being conducted there for the purpose of surveying the number of vehicles using the state highway and to decide on collecting toll charges.

The government, which has built a good state highway between Padubdiri and Karkala, had tried two years ago to set up a tollgate at Belman. As the people protested strongly against the proposal, the idea had been shelved.

After remaining lull for two years, the government changed its plan and got an idea to set up the tollgate at Kanchinadka. For the last one week, vehicles were being counted at Nandikoor and Machinadka area near Padubidri. Vehicles moving on the highway were counted for about a week at Kanchinadka and Nandikoor. When the vehicular movement was being watched by the officials, gram panchayat member, Naveen N Shetty, Shaffi, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike taluk president Nizamuddin and local expressed their opposition. They asked the officials to stop keeping count of vehicles moving on this road.

With this, the government's plan to set up tollgate at the changed location, Kanchinadka, has encountered hitch at the beginning itself.

Nizamuddin said that toll gates will not be allowed to be set up across state highways including at Kanchinadka.