THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The toll collection at Thiruvallam plaza on the Kazhakoottam to Karode NH66 bypass continued to be disrupted on the second consecutive day following protests from DYFI and Youth Congress workers on Wednesday. The meeting on Tuesday by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) with the party workers failed to reach a consensus over the demand of protesters to provide free passes to the local people living in nine villages.
Though there were reports that NHAI has agreed to give free passes for people living in five kilometre radius, the officials denied such reports. “We have not agreed to give free passes to anybody. It is not possible for us to give free passes for people in nine villages. If we give free passes to people of one constituency, then an MLA of another constituency will come forward asking for a waiver.
As per the current demand, the Kovalam MLA has sought free passes for people living till Kanjiramkulam. It is absolutely not possible. The toll collection is a rule in the country that those who crossed the toll booth should pay the amount. We are only taking money for 26 kilometres from Kazhakoottam to Kovalam. So we will continue to collect toll with police protection,” said P Pradeep, project director, NHAI.
The protest by DYFI and Youth Congress activists led by Kovalam MLA M Vincent lasted for two hours after getting assurance from NHAI that it will not collect toll for the day. There was a huge police protection at the spot to prevent law and order incidents. UDF convenor M M Hassan will inaugurate the protest on Thursday.
“The NHAI is still adamant on collecting toll fees without giving exemption. We will escalate the protest if NHAI will not agree with our demands. We will continue with the protest until the local people get free passes,” he said.
The political parties said the toll collection by the NHAI was so unscientific as the people needed to pay a toll for travelling just three kilometres for reaching Kovalam or Vizhinjam from Thiruvallam. The local people should get an exemption from the toll. PWD minister P A Mohammed Riyas has called a meeting to discuss the issue. However, NHAI has not been invited to the meeting.
The move to start toll collection without opening the entire 43-kilometre NH stretch from Kazhakoottam to Karode for traffic had met with stiff opposition from all sections. At present, traffic is allowed till Kovalam. The highway is blocked from Kovalam to Mukkola even after its construction is complete.
SIVANKUTTY WRITES TO GADKARI
T’Puram: Education Minister V Sivankutty has written to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari seeking his urgent intervention to stop toll collection at Thiruvallam. In a letter on Wednesday, he pointed out that construction of not even half of the 21 km road from Kovalam to Karode has been completed. “This poses severe hardships for commuters as toll collection has commenced even before the completion of the bypass. It is all the more challenging for those living near the toll plaza, in the absence of alternative routes,” said Sivankutty