Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, July 30: Apni Party Provincial President, Jammu, and former Minister, Manjit Singh, has questioned the rationale behind charging of toll-tax at Sarore in Samba District when two bridges on the Jammu-Pathankot Highway have been damaged.
“This is quite insensitive that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has been charging toll tax despite knowing that the Highway has been badly damaged due to incessant rainfall,” Manjit Singh said in a statement.
He demanded immediate revocation of charging of toll-tax at Sarore and free movement of vehicles on the highway from the toll plaza without putting the commuters to any kind of harassment.
“The continuous practice of charging toll-tax has been exploiting the commuters who have to wait for their turn in long queues,” he added.
Claiming that most of the infrastructure on the highway has been badly damaged, Singh demanded that a criminal proceeding be initiated against the NHAI authorities for charging toll tax from people.
He said for more than a year, the Highway has been under construction from Kathua, Samba up to Jammu.
“Due to widening as well as expressway work, the traffic on the entire stretch of the Highway in three Districts has been disturbed. Thus, it makes no sense to charge the toll tax. As such, it needs to be revoked for the time being till the entire stretch is made obstacle free,” demanded Manjit Singh.
Manjit Singh also reacted strongly over beating of a bus driver at Sarore Toll Plaza in Samba District today.
He said in case his demands are not accepted within a stipulated time frame, the people will take to streets against the concerned authorities.
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