Centre, State told to protect Perambalur, Kallakurichi toll plazas

CHENNAI: In order to maintain a smooth running of two toll plazas in Sengurichi of Kallakurichi district and Perambalur district’s Thirumanthurai, the Madras High Court passed orders to the centre and state government to extend the protection to the toll plazas for ten days.

Justice C Saravanan, who made a special hearing amidst the Dussehra holidays, passed the orders on hearing a plea by Trichy Tollway Private Limited.

The petitioner company prayed for a direction to the collectors of Perambalur and Kallakurichi districts to deploy CRPF to give protection to the toll plaza. The company also sought an order to ban protests within the 800-meter radius of the toll plazas.

Representing the petitioner, advocate Inthu Karunaran submitted that as the company retrenched several employees with the toll plaza due to the surplus workforce, they started protesting and even threatening the lives of travellers and others.

The advocate further said a few protesting people robbed the cash and damaged the technical infrastructure in the toll plazas. When the matter was taken up, the petitioner noted that normalcy returned in their toll plazas, but protection was required for the safety of toll workers and the public.

Recording the submissions, the judge held that the FasTag system and security cameras were restored immediately after moving the writ petition, “the same shall continue to function and if at all any agitation to be done by workmen, it can only be done away from the toll plaza,” the judge ordered.

The matter has been adjourned to October 10.