THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tuesday marked a month since various political parties in the state launched an indefinite agitation against the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) toll collection on the Kazhakoottam-Karode NH66 bypass at the newly-opened Thiruvallam toll plaza. The NHAI, however, remains unmoved, despite the numerous meetings convened over the past month between the agency and political parties along with various other stakeholders.
According to NHAI, it will not withdraw from the move as the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has instructed it to go ahead with the toll collection. “We have received clear instructions from the Centre, which we are bound to comply with. In every meeting, party workers talk about giving a waiver to the local residents. As of now, we cannot. But let them continue the agitation and we will see what can be done,” a senior NHAI officer told TNIE.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader V D Satheesan demanded the state government’s intervention to put a stop to the unfair toll collection on the unfinished bypass. “Illegal toll collection is another visible example of the anti-people policies by the Central and state governments,” he said, after inaugurating the 30th day of the UDF district committee agitation.