MLA gets 15-day toll relief for commuters

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, December 3

To pacify the anger of local residents, who have been demanding concession from toll at the newly operational toll plaza near Bastara village, the Gharaunda MLA Harvinder Kalyan on Tuesday visited the toll plaza and was fumed to see the condition of the toll. It was started without being completed.

The MLA directed the concerned officials to complete the construction work with all safety parameters at the earliest and exempt the local commuters from collecting toll for the next 15-days. As per the sources after the order of the MLA local commuters have been exempted at toll plaza.

“I have directed the officials to waive-off the toll for local commuters for the next 15-days as the work on it is not complete yet, which has been accepted by the authorities” Kalyan said.

The MLA said, “It is a special case as this toll lies between district-headquarter and Gharaunda block, while as per my knowledge all the toll plazas are at the border of the districts in the state. Local commuters have to travel to and fro, which would create lots of financial burden on them.”

The local residents have demanded the exemption from the toll, which was a genuine demand and he would raise it in-front of the CM Manohar Lal Khattar. The CM would further meet the Union Minister for the same.

Though, the company has a provision for pass of Rs 150 per month for the commuters residing in the vicinity of 10km from the toll plaza, while it was Rs 300 for the commuter residing in the vicinity of 10km-20km. As it lies between block and district headquarter, a resident has to commute several time in a day for their one or the other work. So the toll should be exempted for the local commuters, he added.

During his visit the MLA observed long queues of vehicles at toll plaza and directed the officials to manage the toll efficiently.

It is learnt that the local residents got fumed over the starting of the toll without any intimation on Monday afternoon. They also created ruckus at the toll. The matter went to the local MLA, who visited the site on Tuesday.