Mass dharna planned seeking scrapping of Brahmarakootlu tollgate

The newly formed Brahmarakootlu Tollgate Teravu Horata Samithi on Thursday, decided to hold a mass dharna on March 3 at Brahmarakootlu demanding scrapping of the tollgate on Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway 75.

Like-minded organisations, activists, representatives of political parties and others gathered at B. C. Road to discuss the ways and means to get the ‘illegal’ tollgate between B. C. Road and Mangaluru on NH-75 removed. Former minister B. Ramanath Rai presided the meeting.

In his introductory address, Surathkal Tollgate Virodhi Horata Samithi convener Muneer Katipalla, explained the measures to be taken for the struggle. He also explained the long-struggle undertaken by the Surathkal Samithi to get the NITK-Surathkal tollgate on NH-66 removed. Both, Brahmarakootlu as well as Surathkal tollgates, are part of the New Mangalore Port Road project, he noted.

At the end of the meeting, the participants decided to form the Brahmarakootlu Tollgate Teravu Horata Samithi with Mr. Rai being its honorary president to take forward the fight for scrapping the tollgate. B. Shekhar and Mohan Shetty were chosen as the conveners of the Samithi.

The dharna on March would be conducted from 9 a.m. to noon, and if the National Highways Authority of India does not scrap the tollgate, the Samithi would intensify the struggle, the meeting resolved.