No toll tax exemption from June 15; Karnal villagers oppose new rules

KARNAL: The residents of around 50 villages of Karnal district will not get the free access to the Bastara toll plaza on the National Highway 44 from June 15 as the toll-collecting company has decided to end the exemption given to the people living in the villages within the 10-km radius of the plaza.

In this regard, the company concerned has also issued a notice asking the people of the nearby villages to get a monthly pass made from the toll office as the identity cards of the Karnal villages will not be acceptable for free access after June 15.

However, the reason behind the development could not be ascertained yet, but the toll officials claimed the decision was taken as the people were misusing the facility and even had provided their identity cards to their relatives living in other districts.

“The new rules will come into force from June 15 and people will have to get a monthly pass made from the toll office,” said a toll employee, who was not authorised to speak to the media.

However, the decision has agitated the residents of these 50 villages and they have threatened to launch a stir if the orders were imposed.

“We have already met the officials at the toll office and informed them that such rules could result in protests as residents of villages situated in the 10-km radius of the plaza are eligible for exemption,” said Bastara village sarpanch Mewa Singh. He said the officials at toll plaza had assured them that they will take up the matter with higher authorities before the new rules got implemented.

Soon after the toll was shifted to Bastara from Butana in 2014, the resenting villagers had started protests, demanding a complete waiver of toll tax and in February 2015, the toll company had agreed to give special concessions to residents of more than 50 villages of Gharaunda block at this toll plaza set up by Soma Isolux, the private toll-collecting company. As the toll collected is shared between the NHAI and Soma, the latter has offered to give its share for the benefit of villagers by issuing special vehicular passes to the residents living close by.

But now, the officials of the toll company have alleged that people of these villages had provided their ID cards to their relatives in other districts.