Sonapur and three other toll gates likely to be closed in Assam

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jul 27, 2022 | Kabir Chakraborty

According to media sources, the National Highways Authority of India's norms has been broken by these four toll gates in Assam (NHAI).

Digital
Desk: There
are at least four toll gates in Assam that are scheduled to close soon,
including the Nazirakahat (Sonapur) toll gate close to Guwahati.

The three other Assam
toll gates that are likely to be shut down shortly, in addition to the Sonapur
toll gate, are the Madanpur, Galia, and Mikirati Hawgaon toll gates.

According to media
sources, the National Highways Authority of India's norms have been broken by
these four toll gates in Assam (NHAI).

The union road ministry
is set to soon close these Assam toll gates that have been breaking NHAI
regulations.

India has up to 189 toll
gates that have been going over the 60-kilometer limit set by the NHAI.

Notably, Nitin Gadkari,
the Union Minister for Roads and Transportation, acknowledged in March that
many toll gates in India violate the NHAI regulations.

"I have repeatedly
stated that it is unlawful to have more than one toll plaza along a 60 km
stretch of road. But it keeps going as we pay for it. Now, I can assure this
House that all additional toll booths within that 60-kilometer radius will be
shut down over the next three months," Nitin Gadkari had declared in
March.

At the Nazirakhat toll
plaza, also known as the Sonapur toll gate, near Guwahati in Assam, a group of
students and representatives from some of the top student organizations in the
state, including the AASU, AKRSU, and ATASU, earlier this year demanded its
immediate closure on the grounds that its employees harass and mistreat the
general public.

At the Sonapur toll gate
in Assam, even children and teachers are allegedly acting inappropriately.

A protester claimed that
the Dimoria and Sonapur region had previously been rather tranquil but that
since the "toll gate" was established, there has been a fresh
controversy virtually every day. The protestors further said that even locals,
who should be exempted from the high toll taxes, were being forced to pay the
toll by the employees. 

They
further alleged that if any local in the Sonapur area or Dimoria refused to pay
the tax they were abused by the toll plaza employees.