Sarore Toll Plaza | No transport in entire Jammu region today

TNN Bureau. Updated: 10/17/2019 10:17:11 AM Front Page

JAMMU: Escalating agitation against the Toll Plaza at Sarore by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and increase in other taxes recently, the transporters on Wednesday announced a strike in entire Jammu region today.
The ‘chakka jam’ will start from Thursday morning and it will increase the problems of people, who have been already facing hardship due to indefinite strike being observed by private transporters since October 14 even as bus as well as mini-bus service remained suspended for the third consecutive day on Wednesday.
“Transporters and Chamber of Commerce had met Governor and Advisors but still grievances which include One-time tax of 9% have not been resolved so far,” T S Wazir, Chairman All J&K Transport Welfare Association said.
He said the administration added more burden on the transporters by imposing Toll Tax at Sarore.
“The administration will be responsible for the inconvenience caused to commuters tomorrow,” he said while announcing the ‘Chaka jam’ tomorrow in Jammu province.
Lending support to agitation against toll plaza, the political parties including Congress, Jammu and Kashmir National Panther Party (JKNPP) and other social organization on Wednesday staged protest demonstration at various places of Jammu region.
Castigated BJP for allowing toll collection center, the said political parties and transporters castigated BJP for allowing toll plaza. They also alleged that the toll plaza was established in violation of prescribed norms.
Aiming to pacify protesters, state BJP leaders including Union Minister and Member of Parliament from Udhampur constituency, Dr Jitendra Singh claimed that the issue of toll plaza had been taken up with Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highway.
“I have suggested the ministry to defer the toll plaza in view the peculiar circumstances when Jammu and Kashmir is in the process of transition into Union Territory,” Singh, a Minister of State in PMO had said on Tuesday.
The toll plaza was inaugurated by the NHAI on October 11—seven years after its original schedule--drawing strong opposition from residents and political parties, including the BJP, which wrote a two-page letter to the Union Transport Ministry seeking its removal.
However, NHAI yesterday defended its move and claimed the established with prior consent of Government of India (GOI).
“We want to clarify that there was no violation of guidelines in setting up the toll plaza at Thandikhui near Sarore. The traffic is being smoothened and reduced day by day to ensure no traffic jam," project director, NHAI, Project Implementation Unit, Ajay Kumar Rajak, had told reporters during press conference.
He had admitted that infrastructure of toll plaza is inadequate to cater rush of traffic.
“This is temporary infrastructure and it will be converted into permanent within six months,” he said.


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