Samiti threatens stir if upcoming three toll plazas in DK made operational

Convenor of Toll Gate Virodhi Horata Samiti Muneer Katipalla and other members of the Samiti on Friday, visited the NHAI toll plaza coming up in Ganjimutt, on the outskirts of Mangaluru

The Toll Gate Virodhi Horata Samiti, Mangaluru, has threatened of renewing its agitation if proposed new toll plazas at Ganjimutt, Valalu and Panapila in Dakshina Kannada goes operational.

According to Muneer Katipalla, convener of the samiti, the three toll plazas have been proposed in violation of existing rules for opening new toll plazas. No new toll plaza should be built within 60 km radius of an existing toll plaza, he said in a statement here on Friday.

Mr. Katipalla said a new toll plaza of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is coming up at Ganjimutt on Mangaluru-Moodbidri-Karkala National Highway 169. The Ganjimutt plaza is located at a distance of 33 km and 34 km from Brahmarakootlu toll plaza on the NH 75 and Talapady toll plaza on NH 66, respectively.

A new toll plaza of NHAI is coming up at Valalu, near Uppinangady, on NH 75 (Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH). The National Highways division of the State Public Works Department and is building a new toll plaza at Panapila, near Madyantya, on NH 73 (Mangaluru-Chikkamagaluru Highway).

The Valalu toll plaza is about 35 km, while Panapila toll plaza is about 27 km away from the Brahmarakootlu toll plaza. None of these new toll plazas meet the mandatory 60 km distance requirement between two toll plazas. If these new toll plazas become operational, then there will be total six toll plazas in Dakhina Kannada. They will be deterrent for the travel. The new plazas will adversely affect the district’s trade and industrial sectors, he said.

Mr. Katipalla said district administration and the NHAI, PWD should conduct public hearing, in presence of MP and MLAs, before opening new toll plazas. The district administration should ensure that norm of 60 km distance between two toll plazas is strictly followed while setting up the new toll plazas. If no action is taken, then local committees will be formed and ‘padayatras’ will be held in March from each of these upcoming toll plazas to the NHAI’s Project Office in Mangaluru.

A delegation of Samiti led by Mr. Katipalla visited the Ganjimutt toll plaza on Friday.