Amid resentment over the imposition of toll tax at Sangam insouth Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Thursday assuredthat locals would be exempted from paying the tax.
“There won’t be any toll tax on the locals. We have taken upthe issue with the central government but due to the ongoing election processthings have slowed up a bit,” Governor said while inaugurating the grid lockseparator in Srinagar.
Since the toll plaza has been made operational by theNational Highway Authority of India in Sangam area of south Kashmir, thetraders, commuters and other business communities have refused to pay the tax.
A group of traders and transporters also submitted amemorandum to the Deputy Commissioner Anantnag demanding the rollback of thetoll tax being levied on the vehicles.
Two top regional parties, National Conference and the PDP have also demanded the rollback of the tax. NC has called the move ‘unfair and unjust” while the PDP said such a measure would hit the already economically downtrodden people hard.