KPCC media analyst P.H. Neeralakeri has alleged that the Dharwad district administration and Ministers were silent on ‘illegal’ toll collection on the Hubballi-Gadag section of the Ankola-Gooty national highway (No. 63) and has set a 15-day deadline to stop the toll collection.
Addressing presspersons in Hubballi, along with Congress leader Rajat Ullagaddimath and others on Friday, Mr. Neeralakeri said that all norms pertaining to beginning toll collection on the national highway had been violated and the officials and Ministers, both State and Central, were silent over it.
Taking example of his own travel on the road stretch, during which he had to pay ₹175 for a travel of around 17 kilometres between villages, Mr. Neeralakeri wondered how the district administration could allow toll collection on the road, when there were no service roads for the villages located all along the national highway.
Mr. Neeralakeri said that there was no service road at all along the national highway and those who had to travel to these villages were being forced to pay heavy toll.
“Not only this, the North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), which operates moffusil services on the road stretch had suddenly increased the bus fare upto ₹15 on a few stretches because NWKRTC buses have to pay toll on the road stretch,” he said.
To a query, he said that as per the guidelines, toll collection could be started only after completion of substantial work of the project. In this case, less than 50% work had been completed accordingly 2019 data and there was no further data available on the project. Moreover the concrete road had already developed cracks at several points, raising questions over the quality of the work done so far.
Mr. Neeralakeri said the Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad should immediately inspect the road, review the work, and put a stop to toll collection within next 15 days. Otherwise the Congress, along with residents of the villages along the road stretch, would be forced to resort to agitation, he said.
