BALASORE: MLAs, cutting across party lines in Balasore district, have opposed the toll plaza at Sergarh, nearly 10 km from the district headquarters town. Alleging that the NHAI has erected the toll gate violating the rules, they have demanded its immediate shifting. The MLAs are Jiban Pradip Dash from Sadar, Ananta Das from Bhogarai, Sudarshan Jena from Remuna and Pratap Sarangi from Nilagiri. Former MLAs Gopanarayan Das and Pradipta Panda have announced support to the agitation by the vehicle owners and traders associations NHAI in this regard. Sources said the toll gate had been functioning since January 16. But the vehicle owners have opposed the gate as it had not been set up as per the prevailing rules and regulations.Balasore truck coordination committee member Narendra Bihari Das said though as per a circular of the NHAI in 2008 the distance between two toll gates should be at least 60 km, here it has been violated. “Besides, the circular also indicated that the toll gate cannot be erected within 10 km distance from a town while the toll gate is 7 km from Nilagiri NAC,” he pointed out.The vehicle owners alleged that though in other toll gates across the State a vehicle is allowed to ply for 24 hours if it pays the toll once, here the period has been limited to 12 hours.The MLAs said the toll plaza is aimed at penalising the local vehicle owners.Meanwhile, the transport associations have threatened to launch an agitation and block the NH-5 if NHAI fails to shift the toll gate from its present location soon.
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