BJP demands abolishment of Sarore toll plaza along Jammu-Pathankot highway
JAMMU: Amid protests by cross-section of people over operationalisation of a new toll plaza at Sarore along Jammu-Pathankot highway, the state BJP on Saturday demanded its immediate abolishment in view of the "present security and political turbulence" in the state.
In a two-page letter addressed to the Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina Saturday also highlighted the resentment among the people over the "ill thoughtout" decision of local officers of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
The NHAI has inaugurated the new toll plaza at Sarore in Samba district on Friday and said "the toll plazas are the strength of the roads and all the money collected through tolls will be utilized in giving better road infrastructures in the country."
The BJP leader said there was one toll plaza functioning at Ban on Jammu-Udhampur highway and another has been made functional at Sarore while one more toll plaza on Jammu-Pathankot highway is being made functional shortly at Hira Nagar in Kathua district.
"The distance between these toll plazas is in violation of the prescribed distance limit. They are at a far shorter distance inter-se than permissible. Further the plaza at Sarore is very badly designed," Raina said in the letter demanding its scrapping.
He said the Vashno Devi pilgrims have to pass through three plazas at Hira Nagar, Sarore and Ban within the short distance of 120 km.
"The people of the state are greatly agitated on this count and is giving us bad name," he said and requested for scrapping the entire plan of establishing the new toll Plaza's in Jammu region.
Scrapping of the new toll plaza is also important at this juncture, keeping in view the "present security and political turbulence in the state," the BJP leader said.
After the establishment of the new toll plaza at Sarore, the commuters faced long traffic snarls and expressed their anger against the government for the decision.
Several political parties including the Congress and National Panthers Party have also expressed their resentment on the new toll plaza's and threatened agitation for their abolishment.
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