Toll plaza company yet to get compensation

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Panipat, February 25

The state government has compensated many victims of the Jat quota violence last year, but not a penny has been paid so far to the company operating the toll plaza at Dahar village on the Panipat-Rohtak highway.

A loss of Rs 6.5 crore was reported due to the arson and violence last year and around Rs 1.5 crore due to closure of the toll plaza during that period.

“I will never forget that fateful day in my entire life. Scores of goons came from the Israna side, ransacked everything they found on the way and set the toll plaza and office building ablaze,” said Naveen Kumar, manager of the toll plaza.

“Though one year has passed and buildings constructed again, those three days of fear will never be forgotten. The day was February 20, 2016. I and my staff were present in the office and passage was free for the last two or three days due to the Jat agitation,” he said.

“I got a telephone call from some person that thousands of protesters were moving towards the toll plaza. It was around 11 am. I and my staff immediately shifted the ambulance, toll vehicles and valuables which we could save from the office and came out after locking the gates,” he added.

“Around 11:30 am, hundreds of youths with lathis and sticks came and started ransacking the toll booths. Between 20 and 30 youths jumped inside and started sabotaging the office. They burnt the toll booths and office at 2:30 pm,” he further said.

“We were standing near the office and watching the goons destroy everything. I made several telephone calls to police officials for help, but did not get any aid at that time. It did not end. The next day, scores of people came and looted all articles. They tried to break open the cash chest, but could not succeed,” he said.

“We had taken shelter in nearby villages to save our lives with the help of locals. We came to the toll plaza on February 22. Everything had been burnt and only the structure was left. A case was registered against unidentified persons on February 23. We thanked God that no life was lost,” he added.