Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 19: National Conference today assailed the National Highway Authority of India and the State Administration for adopting dilly dallying tactics over the winding up of the Sarore Toll Plaza and referred to the overwhelming sentiment against it among people besides the various other stake holders like trade and commerce, industry, transport and tourism operators.
“The assurances with regard to slashing of road tax or keeping a particular segment out of its gambit won’t work, the Toll Plaza has to be abolished and the administration should take a call on it, sooner the better, especially as the State is passing through difficult times currently”, National Conference Provincial president Devender Singh Rana and State secretary Surjeet Singh Slathia said in a joint statement.
They described the levying of toll tax at Sarore on Jammu highway as arbitrary, unjust and an avoidable burden on the road and called for its immediate winding up in the larger interest of traders, industrialists, tourists, pilgrims and above all the commuters.
The two leaders wondered over the rationale in levying road taxes when the people are bearing the burden indirectly by way of Rs 1 fuel Cess being charged for about two decades now since the premiership of Atal Behari Vajpayee for construction, up-gradation and improvement of highways and other roads.
The National Conference leaders reiterated that the party had opposed tooth and nail the decision of putting in place a Toll Plaza at the initial stage but the Government of the time looked to the other side thus creating a situation which is against the interests of the all segments of society. They assailed the NHAI for being insensitive and unmindful of the resentment registered by the stakeholders in a peaceful manner and urged the administration to shun confrontational approach, see reason in the growing demand and roll back the decision on toll collection at Sarore Toll Plaza.
They highlighted the importance of Jammu as a most thronged pilgrim destination of North India, saying nearly 10 million pilgrims visit every year to pay obeisance at revered Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. They called for focused attention on the improvement and up-gradation of roads, especially the highway instead of punishing the road users by way of taxes.
Follow our WhatsApp channel