Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (SP)
Karkala, Oct 12: Karnataka State Road Development Corporation has proposed to build a tollgate at Belman which is located on the state highway between Padubidri and Karkala. The state government has called for technical bids for the same, which have been stipulated to be submitted before October 16.
Under Karnataka State Highways Improvement Project (KSHIP) drafted to develop state highways, the government, in 2012, had converted the road between the town and Padubidri into state highway. This road work of this 28-km road had been contracted to RNS, Murudeshwar. Although the work was completed about two years ago, the road is yet to be transferred from KSHIP to PWD, it is said. In the meanwhile, the government has set rolling the process to begin tollgate collection at Belman.
Belman
There has been widespread resentment against the proposal to set up tollgate at Belman from road users, voluntary organizations, general public and drivers. BJP has planned to hold protest at Belman downtown on the evening of October 12 against the proposed tollgate. The taluk truck owners and drivers association as well as local MLA have expressed themselves strongly against the tollgate proposal. Those opposed to the tollgate point out that people travelling 60 km to Mangaluru from the town or vice versa have to pay toll charges at three tollgates, one at NITK Suratkal, second at Hejamady, and the third one at Belman. They cite the example of state highway between Mangaluru and Mysuru where no tollgates have been set up and regret the fact that multifarious tollgates are coming up in coastal Karnataka in spite of public outcry against them.
MLA from the local constituency, V Sunil Kumar, condemned the action of the government and sought withdrawal of the decision. He said this move clearly gives out an indication that the state government is facing bankruptcy and that it wants to make money by charging people for using the road.
It is said that the agreement entered into between the contractor who developed this road, and the government had no mention about toll collection in future. The decision to collect toll charges here was taken at the state cabinet meeting held recently.