Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 12: Amidst reports of unprecedented vehicular jams and harassment of vehicle operators at newly established Toll Plaza at Sarore, Samba district on Jammu-Pathankot National Highway, all political and social organizations have expressed their strong resentment over alleged fleecing and persecution of Jammu people by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
State BJP president Ravinder Raina has conveyed to the Union Minister for Surface Transport, Nitin Gadkari about ill though out decision of NHAI in establishment of toll plazas in Jammu region and demanded immediate scrapping of the same.
Stating that the distance between the Jammu Toll Plazas is in violation of the prescribed distance limit, Raina further said that the newly established Plaza at Sarore is ill designed causing great traffic jams resulting inconvenience to the public. Besides, he added, the contractor behaves very roughly and intimidatingly with the public and the net result is that public get harassed due to these toll plazas, which is giving bad name to the BJP.
Requesting the Union Minister that the entire plan of establishing Toll Plazas in Jammu be altogether scrapped, the State BJP president explained that this would ensure progress and economic development of the State, which is totally dependent on tourism. This is also important at this juncture, keeping in view the present security and political turbulence in the State, he added.
BJP has done nothing to rectify issues related to public, they only do politics for vote gathering, Satish Sharma said.
Pradesh Congress Committee has strongly criticized the Government for installation of another toll plaza at Sarore on Jammu-Lakhanpur Highway and said that it amounts to over taxing the people in the already economically distressed atmosphere in the country.
Terming it unjustified and unfair, JKPCC said this has been done by the party which opposed the same few years back in opposition terming it ‘Jazia; on pilgrims. “It was abandoned by the UPA Government on public demand but now no one listens the voice of common people in the new model of democracy. Is it not ‘Jazia’ besides being unjust now?” questioned Congress to BJP, stating that it exposes the duplicity of BJP.
The JKPCC further said that three toll plaza on the highway, which is not only route of pilgrims but also life line to the economy of the State, especially Jammu region, is the gift of the BJP to the people who have given them huge mandate.
Up in arms against establishment of Toll Plazas, Pradesh Youth Congress activists today staged protest against the anti-people policies of BJP led Government at the Centre. Led by Uday Chib, president PYC, J&K, the activists assembled at Hiranagar area and raised slogans against the BJP for betraying the mandate of people of Jammu region.
Chib said that firstly the BJP Government at the Centre imposed heavy traffic penalties on the people of the country by amending the Motor Vehicle Act 2019 and now the Government forcibly installing the toll plaza in Jammu region in a hurriedly manner. He said that by installing the Toll Plaza at Sarore, BJP itself has betrayed the mandate of Jammu region. Romy Sharma, District President Kathua PYC unit said that such huge taxation in the form of multiple toll plazas was simply unaffordable for the common masses and particularly those who had to commute on regular basis between Jammu, Samba and Lakhanpur. The protesting PYC activists urged the Governor Satya Pal Malik to immediately defer the imposing of toll tax.
Minibus Union in Vijaypur observed a strike in protest the Toll Plaza at Sarore and submitted a memorandum to SDM Vijaypur. The Union demanded from the National Highways Authority and District Administration Samba that minibus service plying on the local route should be charged lower toll than others.
Sunil Dimple, president Jammu West Assembly Movement led a protest march on Janipur High Court road against installation of new Toll Plaza at Sarore and imposition of heavy fines under new M V Act. Addressing the protesters, Sunil Dimple threatened to start mass agitation and indefinite hunger strike for seeking abolition of Sarore and Ban toll Plazas. “Imposition of 9 percent road tax, heavy penalties under new MC Act and Jazia on the name of Toll Plazas will not be tolerated, he said termed the Governor’s administration as well as BJP Govt at Centre as anti Jammu, anti people.
Sunil Dimple appealed all political parties, transporters, traders, students and Government employees to unite and get ready for the bigger agitation for the protection of their rights.
Team Jammu has threatened a mass agitation against the fleecing of people on the name of Toll Plazas in Jammu region and appealed the Governor Satya Pal Malik to personally intervene for avoiding unrest in this peaceful region of the State.
While addressing a meeting of Team Jammu volunteers, the Chairman Zorawar Singh Jamwal lambasted NHAI for fleecing people of this region by installing Toll Plazas at here and there. While in other States, the Toll Plazas are established after a distance of 120 kilometers, NHAI has installed the Plazas in Jammu at distance of less than 40 kilometers, which is open looting of people here, he said and warned a stir over the issue.
Satish Sharma, Executive member of the Congress State Committee and former Chairman of Jammu Municipal Corporation, held BJP responsible for the opening of toll plazas in Jammu. While addressing a press conference, here today, he described BJP as anti-Jammu party, which has done nothing to rectify issues related to public. “BJP only needs the votes of the public, for that this party will sometimes provoke in the name of religion and sometimes will show fear of Pakistan,” he alleged and added that protests against the Toll Plaza will emerge as a big movement in the coming days. He said that the maximum impact of this toll will be on the pockets of those working in Jammu and Samba as well as all those people who have to come to Jammu Samba every day for some or the other work.
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