Toll tax `likely' on Rohini Road ... LEVY FOR BETTER UPKEEP OF POPULAR HILL ROUTE

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Jul 2019, Darjeeling: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration on Saturday said it was "likely" to again start collecting toll tax on Rohini Road, the most popular route to Darjeeling from Siliguri.

Anit Thapa, the chairman of the GTA's board of administrators, said: "To make the road an example and for its proper maintenance, the GTA is likely to start collecting toll tax. We will, however, first take feedback from the general public. Soon after Morcha leader Binay Tamang was nominated as the chairman of the GTA board in September 2017, he had waived the toll tax on Rohini Road, now renamed Subash Ghisingh Marg.

Tamang had then said: "The GTA seems to be getting Rs 40 lakh annually from the toll plaza while it is spending approximately Rs 2 crore a year on its maintenance. It makes little sense in taxing people along one road, that too for a The toll plaza set up by the GTA in Rohini. File picture stretch of 11km." Rohini Road was the only route to the hills where toll was levied. It connects Dudhia Road with NH55 in Kurseong. The toll ranged from Rs 5 to Rs 40, depending on the vehicle.

Thapa said on Saturday that the GTA was widening Rohini Road and also laying parapet on the roadside as part of measures to ensure smooth traffic flow and safety. Many Darjeeling hill resi- dents, however, complained that the condition of Rohini Road had deteriorated after the toll tax collection was stopped on January 1, 2018. The tax had been collected for five years before that.

Apart from the toll tax, Tamang had also waived entrance fees at all tourists spots in the hills.

Soon after Thapa took charge earlier this year, the GTA headquarters Lal Khoti began charging an entry fee of Rs 30 from tourists.

"The new chairman of the board of administrators of the GTA seems to be reviewing some of the earlier policy decisions," a source said.

Many residents have also complained that apart from the deteriorating condition of Rohini Road, many tourist spots such as Nightingale Shrubbery Park and Gangamaya Park are not being maintained properly.

"In hindsight, the fee waiver seemed to be a populist move, which ultimately did not do any good to the tourist spots," a source said.

Tea garden fire The office of the Mundakoti tea garden, about 25km from Darjeeling, was razed to the ground during a midnight fire.

Sources said residents tried to douse the fire but the one-storied office could not be saved. The fire was brought under control on Saturday morning..