Karnataka: Close Surathkal toll gate or resign: Panel tells MP, MLA

MANGALURU: The Action Committee Against Surathkal toll gate issued an ultimatum of June 30 to Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and Mangaluru City North MLA Y Bharath Shetty, to shut down the National Highway toll gate at Surathkal.
Addressing the media here on Friday, action committee convener Muneer Katipalla said that the elected representatives should resign, if they fail to stop toll collection on NH-66 at Surathkal.“We have held several protests seeking closure of the toll gate at Surathkal. We led a padayatra successfully, from Hejmadi toll gate to Surathkal toll gate on March 22. The same day, Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari had announced that all toll plazas on national highways, within 60 km of another fee collecting booth, would be closed in three months. Meanwhile, Nalin Kumar Kateel had stated on March 15, that the toll gate at Surathkal will be shifted to the New Mangalore Port, and the toll will be collected only from those vehicles, that enter and exit from the port. However, neither the Union minister, nor the MP have taken any steps to either close the toll gate, or shift it. In the meantime, the process of renewal of contract to collect toll at Surathkal has been completed,” Katipalla said.
He added that the action committee will wait till the end of June. “If the toll gate is not closed down by the end of this month, we will intensify our protests,” he said.
Former mayor Purushotham Chitrapur, former corporator Prathibha Kulai, Dalit leader M Devadas, advocate Dinesh Hegde Ulepady, Taximen and Maxicab Association Dakshina Kannada district president Dinesh Kumpala, Udupi district unit president Ramesh Kotian and District Lorry Owners Association president Moosabba Pakshikere were present.