People Power : Protesters smash open toll gates on Gurgaon e-way

[s1joshi]

One pays Tax on Income to government with a hope that they will use it for building/supporting infrastructure, Then a Road tax to state government to have your vehicle on Road, A cess on Petrol again meant for roads ... Then why on earth we should be paying Tolls for using these Roads, Isnt a well maintained road infrastructure our basic right after paying so much of money in form of various taxes !!!

Dear Ministers & Bureaucrats , You cant keep fooling around people for long.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 681258.cms

GURGAON: Despite a Punjab and Haryana high court order, around 400 protesters forced open the toll gates of the 32-lane plaza for about 40 minutes on Sunday afternoon, allowing about 3,700 free passages.
Some of the protesters demanding the removal of the toll plazas under an umbrella organization, Toll Hatao Sangarsh Samiti, were later taken to police station where they were released on individual bond. The agitators, including members of residents' bodies, political outfits and NGOs, had set Sunday as the deadline for removing the toll plazas from the Gurgaon municipal limits.

On Friday, the Haryana government counsel submitted before a division bench of the Punjab and Haryana high court that the local authorities would not allow agitators to disrupt traffic flow and would ensure that the expressway project operates without any disruption. The state coun sel also submitted that if needed, they would mobilize more force. The high court has directed both the state government and the private concessionaire of the expressway to submit a spot report in the next hearing on February 8.

On Sunday, however, around 200 policemen with anti-riot vehicles and fire tenders remained mute spectators with the agitators running amok around the toll plaza and forcibly opening them. Amid sloganeering against the toll operator, the agitators demanded the need to do away with the two toll plazas within 18km, which, they claimed, are contrary to the NHAI provisions of a minimum distance of 65km between two plazas.

The private concessionaire said: "We have a decongestion plan which we can execute with the support of the relevant authorities. We have also sent a proposal to NHAI for expanding the KM 24 toll plaza by adding 10-12 lanes on either side in a staggered way."

[dheerajjain]

Looks like people don't matter for Govt. and at least for Road Ministry and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia. These people first created troubles for Eastern peripheral Expressway by proposing that toll rates be almost doubled. Finally, matter was resolved with Mr. Pranab Mukherjee ruling against that. Now, they have come out with a proposal for increasing toll rates by 20% for all highways in India. Mr. Ahluwalia is the same person who said Rs 28 per day is enough for person to be counted above poverty line.It is good that newly appointed NHAI Chairman is strongly opposing this move.

Hindustan Times, 25 June, 12 has a report

Any move to hike road toll will stoke inflation: NHAI
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-new ... 78333.aspx