23.12.08.dh-nice Toll Collection Illegal: Congress

Toll collection illegal: Cong FEE HIGH:CM

DH NEWS SERVICE BANGALORE: The Congress has alleged that the collection of toll on the BMIC road is illegal. Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, has said that as per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 1997, toll should be collected under the Toll Authority Act, which has not been enacted by the Karnataka Legislature yet. Addressing a press conference on Monday, he said that the Public Works Department issued a notification on toll collection on BMIC road under the Karnataka Highways Act (1964). As for the MoU, a separate law should be enacted to authorise a private body to collect the toll. “Unless such an act is passed in the Legislature, toll could not be collected,” Kharge said. On the basis of the Act, the toll charter should be finalised and notified to the

One of the NICE tollgates public, he said, and argued that the government had not followed this procedure. “The toll collection is illegal. The State government should direct the NICE to stop collecting toll until all mandatory norms are fulfiled,” he said. Kharge blamed the State government for the exorbitant toll tariff. “As per the information I have gathered, NICE informed the Public Works Department of the toll tariff well in advance. But the gov-

ernment did not respond to it. The government should have asked the company to reduce the price. Considering the government’s silence as approval, the company started collecting toll. Had the government acted at the right moment, protests against the price could have been averted,” he said. Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council V S Ugrappa said that as per the MoU, the promoter was allowed to collect toll only after completing the first

BANGALORE, DHNS: Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has said the government will appeal to the NICE to exempt two-wheelers and tractors from toll on BMIC road. Speaking to press persons in Bangalore on Monday, the CM said that the toll tariff was too high. The government was of the opinion that twowheelers and tractors deserved exemption from toll. Public Works minister C M Udasi would speak to the NICE Managing Director Kheny and within a day or two the revised tariff would be announced. phase of the work. The first phase includes 41 kms of Ring Road, 9.1 kms of link road and 12 kms of expressway on the Bangalore side. “As the promoter has not completed the work, he is not allowed to collect toll,” he said.