Mulund colony residents despise check-naka divide

MUMBAI: The toll naka at Anand Nagar, Mulund, is perhaps the most hated of all as a few thousand residents who live in the vicinity have to pay toll every time they cross the booth, despite living in Mumbai.
"The worst is the case of Hari Om Nagar residents, who cast their vote in Mulund assembly constituency once in five years. But everyday, they have to enter Mulund through the toll plaza.When your police station is Mulund East (Navghar) and constituency is Mulund, which is in Greater Mumbai, why should you be made to pay toll?" said Mulund East resident Makarand Karve.
Local civic activist Viral Shah, while condemning the collection of toll, said, "It is frustrating paying toll every time you leave Mulund and enter Thane, and vice versa. I have received complaints from several families/motorists in my area. Also, there seems to be a monopoly at most toll plazas, with the same toll firm collecting money for several years. We (residents) demand an audit of every toll booth, specially the one in Mulund West (LBS Marg) and Mulund East (Eastern Express highway)," he said, adding he has been paying the toll for over 20 years.
Several residents have earlier demanded that the government should provide accounts of the amount collected at toll posts in Mulund in the past 10 years, and how much of it was spent.
Anmol Bhushan, member of the Highland Park ALM, said, "We strongly oppose the toll collection at Mulund, but do not support the violent methods of MNS workers. We want the government to conduct a survey of local residents, most of whom are angry at paying toll for travelling just a few kilometres and back." He said residents often travelled to Thanes for shopping or work. "If I pay toll, I should get better roads. But in the recent monsoon, the worst stretch of road was near the Mulund toll plaza. It was full of craters despite every motorist paying Rs 30 to enter the city," said Mulund resident Rajesh Thakkar. "If the government is unable to maintain roads, why charge toll?" said commuter rights activist Sunil Mone.
Another businessman Dharmesh Somaiya said he often prefers going to Thane by train to avoid paying toll. "It is unwarranted. Why should we pay toll for crossing from one part of the suburbs to another? And Thane is now considered to be part of Mumbai region, so there should be no toll in the entire MMR," he demanded.