Assam: Four Toll Gates Likely to be Shut Down

At least four toll gates in Assam are likely to be shut down as the toll gates have been established by violating the guidelines prescribed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

The toll gates which are likely to be closed down soon are Sonapur toll gate, Madanpur, Galia and Mikirati Hawgaon toll gate.

These toll gates in Assam that have been violating the NHAI guidelines are likely to shut down by the union road ministry soon.

There are as many as 189 toll gates in India that have been violating the 60-kilometre rule laid down by the NHAI.

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Notably, union road and transport minister Nitin Gadkari, in March, admitted that there are many toll gates in India, which are violating the NHAI guidelines.

“It is illegal to have more than one toll plaza for a distance of 60 km and I have told this many times. But it is running as we get money. Now, I assure this House that in the next three months, all additional toll plazas in that 60-km distance will be closed,” 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 also allegedly misbehaved at the Sonapur toll gate in Assam.

A protestor stated that earlier the area in the Dimoria and Sonapur region was quite peaceful but since the day, the “toll gate” came into existence, there has been a new controversy almost every day.

The protestors further said that even locals, who should be exempted from the high toll taxes, were being forced to pay the toll by the employees.

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