Guwahati: At least four toll gates of Assam are likely to be shut down due to the toll gates establishment in violation of the National Highways Authority of India’s regulations (NHAI).
The toll gates which are likely to be closed down soon are Sonapur toll gate, Madanpur, Galia and Mikirati Hawgaon toll gate.
The union road ministry is set to soon close these Assam toll gates that have been breaking NHAI regulations.
India has up to 189 toll gates that have been going over the 60-kilometer limit set by the NHAI.
Notably, union road and transport minister Nitin Gadkari, acknowledged in March that many toll gates in India violate the NHAI regulations.
“I have repeatedly stated that it is unlawful to have more than one toll plaza along a 60 km stretch of road. But it keeps going as we pay for it. Now, I can assure this House that all additional toll booths within that 60-kilometer radius will be shut down over the next three months,” Nitin Gadkari had said in March.
Earlier, in January this year, A group of students along with members of top student organisations in Assam like the AASU, AKRSU and ATASU, formed human chain at the Nazirakhat toll plaza, commonly known as the Sonapur toll gate, near Guwahati in Assam, demanding its immediate closure alleging that employees of the toll plaza harass and misbehave with the public.
Even students and teachers are allegedly acting inappropriately at the Sonapur toll gate in Assam.
A protester claimed that the Dimoria and Sonapur region had previously been rather tranquil but that since the “toll gate” was established, there has been a fresh controversy virtually every day.
The demonstrators added that the employees were forcing even the residents, who ought to be immune from the high toll costs, to pay the toll.