Governor Satya Pal Malik Thursday assured that local residents would be exempted from paying toll tax on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. The Governor’s assurance comes after the residents, political parties and business community here demanded revocation of the new toll tax imposed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
“There won’t be any toll tax on the locals. We have taken upthe issue with the central government,” Governor Malik said while inauguratingthe grade separator at TRC here.
When asked specifically on the recently set up toll plaza atKachackhot on the Srinagar-Anantnag highway, Malik said, “They (NHAI) areworking on exempting toll tax for locals with the central government. But dueto the ongoing election process in the country things have slowed up a bit.”
Two top regional parties, National Conference and the PDP,have also demanded the rollback of the tax. NC has called the move ‘unfair andunjust” while the PDP said such a measure would hit the already economicallydowntrodden people.
The business community has termed the imposition of toll taxas a move aimed to “further inflict financial miseries on the Kashmir traders.”
Chaos and confusion prevailed in south Kashmir on third dayafter the NHAI started levying road tax on Kashmir highway.
On Tuesday NHAI set up a toll plaza at Kachachkot in southKashmir’s Pulwama district. As per the order of NHAI, every vehicle passingthrough the plaza will be charged Rs 85. Therefore, Rs 170 will be charged perday on any vehicle moving to and fro on the highway.
As the toll was made operational people from all walks oflife have protested against it and refused to pay. Both traders as well astransporters on Wednesday held a protest against the imposition of toll tax.
The traders and transporters staged a protest outside theoffice of deputy commissioner Anantnag asking him to exempt common people fromthe tax who are already suffering from prolonged conflict and shatteredeconomy.
The protesters under the banners of All Traders andManufacturers Association Anantnag, Sumo Stand Union Janglatmandi, Bus andMatador Association submitted a joint memorandum to DC Anantnag demandingrevocation of the decision to levy toll tax on the passenger vehicles.