Opposition in Hills raise voice against Rohini road toll tax collection

SNS, Kurseong, 26 November 2013: The political Opposition in the Hills have come forward against the high toll-tax rates, which has been fixed and slated to be collected from 1 December onwards by the GTA on Rohini road.

Yesterday only, the Hills Congress party protested against the toll-tax rates and on the same matter, a team of Congress party members have decided to visit the GTA authority soon, demanding minimisation of the present toll rates. The Congress party hill convener, Mr Saroj Khatri, said the common people will be burdened through the proposed toll rates.

Now, forwarding the same issue, today, other political parties in the Hills have also protested against the proposed toll rates.

Meanwhile, the Trinamul Congress (TMC) party is doing postering against the toll rates at different places in Kurseong town.

Later, a team of TMC led by the party sub-division convenor Mr Kundan Mangrati also served a memorandum to the Kurseong SDO, Mr U Swaroop on the same matter.

Mr Mangrati said: "We are not against the toll-tax; instead, we do not agree with the rates of the toll taxes. To pay Rs 200 to 300 as toll tax for an up and down ride everyday is a heavy burden for the vehicle drivers and owners and in the end the worst sufferers would be the public. The rates should have been kept at a minimum of Rs 5 to Rs 50 as the number of vehicles criss-crossing the road runs into thousands everyday which itself would raise a lot of money. Hence, we want that the rate be re-considered."

The Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM), has also criticised the rates of the toll taxes and said that if the rate is not corrected, than they would come to the streets against it. The CPRM, spokesperson Mr Govind Chettri said if the GTA is really for the development and interest of the Gorkha Community, then the toll-tax rate should not exceed rupee 1. He said that even at the rate of rupee 1, money worth lakhs could be raised for proper maintenance of the road. He also said that it is injustice to the common people that they should burden them in the name of development through GTA.

"If they want funds, they must seek it from the governments concerned. Such activities indicate what these people can do if a separate statehood is formed in Darjeeling Hills which is really a subject of deep concern," he said.

Notably, yesterday only, the GTA issued a public notification that from 1 December collection of toll tax will be implemented from the vehicles plying through Rohini road. The toll rates have also been made public. But, now its viability, mainly the price quote that has been stipulated by the GTA has become a raging debate in the Hills.