Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Aug 17: Apni Party provincial president, Jammu, and former Minister, Manjit Singh today criticised NHAI continuing the practice of charging Toll Tax at Sarore in Samba district despite the worse condition of Jammu-Pathankot Highway.
The former Minister chaired a meeting of Apni Party at Ramgarh where he discussed emerging developmental issues and Toll Plaza issue. The meeting was organized by district president, Samba, Legal Cell, Sahil Bharti.
In his speech, Manjit Singh expressed concern over the plight of the commuters who have been facing unnecessary harassment from the NHAI because the charging of Toll Tax has not stopped at Sarore despite a series of protests.
“Apni Party had staged dharna at Sarore Toll Plaza last year, demanding that the Toll Tax collection should be stopped till the construction work / widening work on the highway is completed and accordingly, the party leaders led by the Apni Party provincial president Manjit Singh met the district administration in Samba and conveyed the public concern regarding Toll Tax collection at Sarore,” he said.
He also said that he had met the Deputy Commissioner Samba last week and raised the issue of the people demanding an end to the collection of Toll Tax at Sarore.
He, however, said that the harassment of the commuters on the Highway at Sarore continued.
“The commuters are compelled to stand in queue for three to four hours on a daily basis so that their Toll Tax is deducted despite protests, and anguish among the people,” he said, while raising his concern.
He further said that the NHAI should understand that the people will not tolerate the continuous illegal practice.
“We are committed to continue our struggle for the NHAI,” he said, while warning the authorities to discontinue the Toll Tax collection at Sarore otherwise, the Apni Party will launch an agitation that would be unprecedented.
He said that the authorities should sense the anger of the people and ask the NHAI to cooperate with the people.
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