Bantalab Toll Tax row
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 9: The wheels jam strike by passenger vehicles plying from Jammu to Katra, Udhampur, Reasi, Srinagar and vice-versa kept the passengers and pilgrims at toes.
Around 2000 passenger vehicles including buses, mini-buses, taxis and maxi cabs playing from Jammu to Katra, Udhampur, Reasi, Srinagar and vice versa remained standstill in protest against the Government and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for imposing unnecessary toll tax on the passenger vehicles crossing the Bantalab toll plaza.
Due to the standstill of the passenger vehicles, thousands of passengers especially Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims and tourists faced worst time. Some of the people had to abandon their travel plans.
Large number of people on way to their offices, educational institutions and other destinations in Katra, Udhampur and Reasi districts were seen at different bus stops. Some of the people were seen marching on foot to their destinations and also taking lift from private vehicles.
A passenger Rakesh Kumar, a Government employee posted in Katra said that he was going to his office, but vehicles were not available and he along with three other colleagues had to come back home.
Some passengers, including women from Katra, Udhampur, Reasi and Srinagar, were stuck at the bus stations and waited for hours to return homes.
“I was unaware of the strike and reached Jammu for the pilgrimage to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. Now we have to wait for a day to visit the sacred shrine due to strike,” Sunil Kumar from Bangalore said.
Meanwhile, transporters staged a protest demonstration at Bus Stand Jammu to highlight their demands.
They raised slogans against the State Government and NHAI demanding complete ban on the toll tax imposed on the passenger vehicles, which are bound to cross the Bantalab toll plaza.
While talking to Excelsior, Chairman, All J&K Transport Welfare Association, TS Wazir said that the fleet plying from Jammu to Katra, Udhampur, Reasi and Srinagar remained off the road in protest against the levying of toll tax on the passenger vehicles at Bantalab toll plaza.
Wazir further stated that NHAI is collecting toll tax at Bantalab, Nagrota at the rate of Rs 375 per bus/truck per trip, Rs 200 per mini-bus per trip and Rs 125 per taxi per trip, which is totally injustice with the transporters, general public, tourists and the pilgrims visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra.
He added that levying of toll tax at Bantalab toll plaza will bring down the tourism graph as Jammu particularly depends on the tourists and pilgrims visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine at Katra. He asked the BJP MLAs sitting at helm of affairs to raise voice on this issue.
“If the Government failed to revoke its decision of collecting the toll tax, then no passenger vehicles including mini-buses, auto, taxi, buses, maxi cabs will ply from Lakhanpur to Srinagar on April 13, he added.
“Transporters are already reeling under huge losses due to operation of trains and DMU from Jammu to Katra/Udhampur, flash floods in September last year, recent incessant rains, disturbance on LoC due to which they could not deposit their fees/taxes and loans which they have borrowed from different banks and institutions”, Wazir said, adding that imposition of toll tax at Bantalab Toll Plaza has added woes to their already imbalanced life.
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