BARGARH :Collection of toll on the National Highway 6 from Sambalpur to Odisha-Chhattisgarh border has been put on hold till the damaged stretch of the highway is repaired by the construction agency concerned. The stalemate over repair of the NH continued for the second day on Friday.
On Thursday, members of Bargarh Bar Association prevented staff of the Nashik-based Ashoka Buildcon from collecting toll at the gate at Barahguda on the four-lane 88 km stretch of NH-6. The move was in protest against toll collection on the incomplete NH and lack of maintenance of the completed road stretch.
At the general body meeting of the Bar Association on Friday, the lawyers decided that they will stop toll collection on the NH till Ashoka Buildcon repairs the damaged portions of the road. While Ashoka Buildcon is four-laning the NH from Sambalpur to Odisha-Chhattisgarh border, Ashoka Sambalpur-Bargarh Tollways Limited was formed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) last year to collect toll on the road.
At the meeting, the lawyers decided to write to the Chief Minister over the faulty design of the NH, lack of maintenance and illegal collection of toll. They said when four-laning work on the entire NH stretch is yet to be completed, collection of toll is illegal.
The road stretch, which is four-laned, has already developed potholes and craters due to faulty design and lack of maintenance leading to frequent accidents.