BANGALORE: Joining Hands with Nyayakagi Naavu, an organisation opposing Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), the Bangalore City Lorry Owners’ Association on Thursday threatened to go on strike against the company for collecting toll on the road connecting Hosur to Tumkur.
The association alleged that the toll on the 41-km road was illegal and Chand Basha, Chairman of the Association produced copies of what he claimed, is an agreement with the state government tat NICE can collect toll only after completion of two concrete lanes and two tarmac roads.
“They are yet to start working on the concrete road. This is an illegal operation by NICE,” Basha said, and added that around 1,000 lorries use the road every day, paying Rs 240 for a one-way journey. The daily revenue of NICE through this collection is estimated to be Rs 5 lakh per day. Representing Nyayakagi Naavu, Agni Sridhar produced another document which was procrured through RTI which showed that the Public Works Department secretary during S M Krishna’s government had approved the toll collection to NICE despite non-conformation to the agreement.
Stating that lorry owners had paid upto Rs 7 lakh toll over the years, he demanded a refund of the money and an intervention by the government, failing to which the lorry owners would go on an indefinite strike from January 19.