Toll protest: 12-hour bandh begins in Sundergarh

Sundergarh: Normal life was thrown out of gear on Saturday following a 12-hour bandh that is being observed in Sundergarh district against the collection of toll tax on the Biju Expressway, between Sambalpur and Rourkela.

The Sundergarh Nagarik Committee has given a 12-hour-bandh call which has been supported by the district lawyers' association.

All the shops, market and other commercial establishments have remained closed while vehicular traffic has been adversely affected due to the dawn-to-dusk bandh today.

The Committee members alleged that the people of the district had paid the toll on the previous road for the last 17 years and the same road has been renamed as Biju Express Way following its expansion.

The vehicles of Sambalpur should be exempted now instead paying toll tax for another 16 years, the Committee demanded.

The expressway, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on March 12, has been constructed under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) mode with the state government bearing 36 percent project cost while L&T paid 64 percent of the funds.