Members of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Friday staged a demonstration at Thuvakudi in Tiruchi district opposing the opening of a new toll plaza on the Tiruchi Bypass on Tiruchi- Karaikudi National Highway, which forms part of a semi-ring road around the city.
The protest was spearheaded by former Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar in which the AIADMK cadre raised slogans against the Union and State governments for opening a new toll plaza on the bypass that connects Thanjavur-Tiruchi and Tiruchi-Karaikudi National Highways.
Speaking at the demonstration, Mr. Vijayabaskar questioned the rationale behind opening a new toll plaza at Thuvakudi, which was located within 2 km of the Vazhavanthankottai toll plaza on Tiruchi-Thanjavur Highway.
“The Vazhavanthankottai toll plaza has been functioning for nearly 13 years. Despite the announcement made by the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in Parliament that there will be only one toll plaza for a distance of 60 km on national highways, why has the NHAI opened another toll plaza within a km,” he questioned and urged the Union and State governments to take steps to remove the toll plaza.
Former Tiruchi MP P. Kumar and other AIADMK and SDPI leaders participated in the protest.
