Members of farmers organisations demand that the toll collection at K N Hundi on Nanjangud Road, National Highway 766, be suspended till the problems at the plaza and on the road are solved.
They alleged that the toll collection is a violation of the norms of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) itself, as the quality of the road is not good and the facilities mandated are not provided.
“As per the norms, a vehicle should not wait for more than a stipulated time, in seconds, at the toll plaza, for waiting for payment of toll, payment of toll and clearance for exit. But, the vehicles are made to wait for longer durations,” said Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Raitha Parva president Arun Kumar.
“There is no service road for the use of those living in the neighbourhood, thus, they are also forced to pay the toll. Basic amenities, like toilet or tow-vehicle are not available in the toll plaza. Even though ambulance is there, it is not functioning properly. Calls to the numbers given for enquiry are not answered,” said Raitha Parva vice-president Y L Naveen Kumar.
Mysuru district president of Raitha Parva Basavaraju demanded that the toll collection at KN Hundi be stopped immediately. “Details of the contractor, tender amount, etc should be displayed at the plaza. The service road should be repaired and made motorable. Then the toll can be collected,” he said.
'Corrupt and arrogant'
Girish Aradhya, a business executive, a frequent user of the highway, said, the staff at the toll plaza are corrupt and arrogant. “They extort money from those who do not have FASTag or from those who are not proficient about the functioning of FASTag. They charge them as per their whims and fancies and do not respond properly to the queries about the difference in the amount mentioned in the receipt,” he said.
Besides, V Sriprasad, vice-president, OBC wing, Mysuru district BJP, said that there are two toll plazas on NH 766 -- one at Yedathore near T Narsipur and the other at K N Hundi near Nanjangud at a distance of just 35 km.
“Thus, one of the plaza is a violation of the National Highways Fee Rules 2008, which is causing inconvenience to road users, besides increasing expenses. The villagers have appealed to MP Pratap Simha, to take steps to remove one of the toll plazas on NH 766,” he said.
Sriprasad said, “Union Minister for Highways Nitin Gadkari had declared that the toll plazas established unscientifically, in violation of NH Fee Rules 2008, may be closed over three month, on March 22, 2022, in the Lok Sabha. But, no action has been taken since the past one year.”
“Gadkari had pointed out that the minimum distance between two toll plazas must be 60 km. Earlier, following repeated protests across India, the Centre had ordered National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to shift toll plazas located within 60 km of one another in December 2018,” he recalled.
“Toll plazas cannot be avoided on a NH, as per law. But, let the NHAI remove one of them, to abide by their own rules,” he said.