Nalin’s Defeat will facilitate Closing Illegal Tollgate – Muneer Katipalla
Mangaluru: “After several protests against the toll collection in Suratkal, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel did not support the protesters nor has he made any efforts to stop the collection of Toll. In the Lok Sabha elections, his defeat will facilitate the closing of the illegal tollgate. This time voters should strengthen the Suratkal Tollgate Horata Samiti by defeating Nalin in the LS polls”, said the convener of STHS Muneer Katipalla in a press statement.
In his press statement, Muneer stated, “In 2015, people strongly opposed the collection of toll at the Suratkal tollgate but in spite of it toll has been collected since then. They had even assured of merging the Suratkal tollgate with Hejamadi once the Hejamadi Tollgate started operating”.
“After three months the Hejamadi Tollgate began operating and since then from the past three years toll is being collected illegally in Suratkal. From two years the Suratkal Tollgate Horata Samiti has been protesting against the illegal collection of toll at Suratkal. After a number of protests in 2018 January, the National Highway Authority agreed to merge the Suratkal Tollgate with the Hejamadi Tollgate. But even after one and a half year of the decision, the toll is being illegally collected at Suratkal. We have held a number of protests, padayatras, processions and for 11 days we had held an indefinite protest. But the MP of Dakshina Kannada who is responsible for it did not support us in any way. Instead, he has been fooling giving false hopes and indirectly supporting the lobby of illegal toll collection.”
“The Suratkal to Nanthur Highway is in a pathetic condition and has led to many fatal accidents. Even after collecting the toll, the MP is unable to see that the road is repaired. The Kulur bridge has become very old and is not fit for vehicular movement. Experts have already said that the Kulur bridge may collapse any time. Even after knowing the condition of the Kulur bridge and the danger it poses to motorists, MP Nalin has failed in his duties.”
“If MP Nalin would have honestly done his duty, he could have closed the illegal tollgate in Suratkal within a week. He has neglected the problems faced by the people and has forced vehicle owners to pay the toll in two places. This time while casting the vote people should remember the difficulties they have faced. People should teach Nalin a lesson, his defeat will facilitate closing the Suratkal tollgate”, said Muneer Katipalla.
