Samba, July 30: Apni Party provincial president Jammu and former minister S Manjit Singh on Sunday strongly criticized the NHAI authorities for charging toll tax at Sarore in Samba district even after two damaged bridges on the Jammu-Pathankot Highway.
“It appears to be an insensitive attitude adopted by the NHAI authorities, and injustice done with the people of Samba district with the practice of charging toll-tax at Sarore to the commuters despite knowing that the highway has been damaged badly and constantly causing inconvenience to the commuters on a long stretch,” Manjit Singh said in a statement issued here.
He said the commuters, especially tourists and pilgrims, remain stranded for hours together at different places on the highway in Samba as well as in Kathua. However, there appears no justification for charging the toll tax when the people are put to severe kind of harassment during their travel to Jammu from Samba, and Kathua, he said.
He demanded immediate revocation of charging of toll-tax at Sarore and free movement of vehicles should be allowed on the highway from the toll plaza without putting the commuters to any kind of harassment. “The continuous practice of toll-taxing causes exploitation of the commuters who wait for their turn in long queues,” he added.
“The bridges and roads are uprooted, and people are covering over 50 to 100 km highway that is in the worst condition. Therefore, a criminal proceeding should be taken up against the NHAI authorities for charging people as well as providing them no convenience,” Singh said. “For more than a year, the highway has been under construction from Kathua, Samba up to Jammu. The widening as well as expressway work is underway and the entire stretch of highway in the above said three districts has been disturbed. The routine traffic is disturbed by jams on the highway amid ongoing work. However, it makes no sense to continue the toll tax that needs to be revoked for the time being till the entire stretch is made obstacle-free and smooth traffic is allowed on the highway.”
The Apni Party leader further said, “Today an incident was reported about alleged harassment/beating of a bus driver at Sarore in Samba district by the staffers of toll-plaza. If the demands are not accepted within a stipulated time, the people will be forced to come on the road to protest against the concerned authorities.”
