Protests mount against Paranur toll plaza functioning over 20 years in ‘breach of rules’

CHENGALPATTU: CPI state secretary Mutharasuan on Saturday categorically stated that the next leg of protests demanding the shutting down of the Paranur toll will gain more intensity and the protestors will not be responsible for any law and order issues arising due to it and the Cenre alone is to be blamed for it.

More than 500 members belonging to Community Party of India, the Tamil Nadu Merchants Association, State Lorry Owners Association, Construction and Agriculture Federation Association, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, Indian Real Estate and others participated in a protest on Saturday and raised slogans against the toll charges. The members said that the toll booth located on the Chennai-Tiruchy National Highway continues to operate illegally despite its licence expired in 2019.

The protesters said that over 1,000 vehicles pass the toll booth on a daily basis and a report from the central government, Rs 28 crore has been collected illegally at the toll booth so far, over the past 20 years. They demanded that the toll be shut immediately and all its illegal collections are stopped.

As per the National Highway Toll rules no tollbooth should be located within 10 kilometers of the municipality or municipal boundary and no toll fees should be collected beyond 15 years and none of these rules have not been followed in the case of the Paranur toll, the protesters said. More som toll collection is continued without any maintenance of toilets, parking space, medical facility, electric light on both the routes, in violation of the guidelines of National Highways, claimed the protestors.

Mutharasan who led the protest pointed out that despite several requests for the removal of the toll plaza no action has been initiated yet. “If the law and order gets affected due to this protest then the onus will fall on the central government,” he said.