Kasaragod: Kumbla Toll Plaza Witnesses Massive Protest Against 'Unlawful Toll' Collections
Kumbla, Kasaragod: The public has intensified protests against the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) toll plaza at Kumbla on NH 66. The toll plaza, according to the protesters, is operating with scant regard for law.
With banners ‘toll without la,’ among others, the protest has swept across the region, with people coming from different parts of the district to participate in the protest.
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Manjeshwar MLA A K M Ashraf has launched the indefinite sit-in, a day after NHAI started collecting user fees at the toll plaza, located 20 km from another toll plaza at Talapady on the Kasaragod-Dakshina Kannada border.
Notably, as per the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, mandates a minimum distance of 60 km between two toll plazas on the same stretch of highway. Despite the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)’s direction to adhere to the law with regard to the toll collection, the protesters claim the norms are blatantly violated.
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Replying to High Court in a petition filed by CPM’s Kumbla Area Committee secretary Zubair C A challenging the toll plaza, the NHAI told that it was forced to establish a temporary toll plaza at Kumbla as the designated toll plaza on the Chengala-Nileshwar stretch was still under construction and not operational.
The designated plaza is located at Chalingal in Pullur–Periya panchayat, exactly 60 km from the Talapady toll plaza, the National Highway authority said.
