Bhubaneswar: Odisha government, which has decided to submit a report to the Centre on shifting of five toll gates on the National Highway in 10 days, will come up with a notification tomorrow to put the revised toll fee on hold as per the demands of the Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had identified Pipili (Puri), Srirampur (Balasore), Manguli (Cuttack), Panikoili (Jajpur) and Baraguda (Koraput) to set up toll gates. However, the former chief secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik, in his letter to the Centre on May and August, 2012, had informed that the five toll gates set up by the NHAI are illegal.
“The chief secretary in his letter had requested the NHAI to shift Srirampur toll gate to Marshaghai, Manguli toll gate out of Tangi area in Cuttack, Panikoili toll gate to an area between Barikpur and Bhadrak. Besides, as per the request of the state government, NHAI had decided to shift Srirampur toll gate to Marshaghai. Though the decision was taken in 2010, the shifting is yet to be made,” Debendra Sahu, general secretary of Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association, told media persons here today.
Briefing media persons, Commerce and Transport minister Ramesh Majhi said the Odisha government will submit a report regarding shifting of five toll gates to the NHAI in ten days.
He also said as per the demands of the Private Bus Owners’ Association, his department will come up with a notification to put the revised toll fee on hold.
“The notification issued by the Commerce and Transport department on May 18 this year has been put on hold and the vehicles will pay toll at the rate prevalent before the above mentioned date,” he added.
Notably, the Association had threatened to stop plying of buses from June 1 demanding rollback of revised toll fee and shifting of five toll gates.
But the Association later decided to suspend its proposed stir after the government decided to submit a report to the Centre on shifting of five toll gates within 10 days following a meeting between the chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi and NHAI chairman Raghav Chandra on June 4.