Karnataka Oppn parties slam NHAI project director for ‘who will take toll road’ comment

On Thursday, Janata Dal (Secular) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy and others staged a protest demanding access roads to the villages and reduction of the toll rates. Kumaraswamy said, “Is this road only for the rich people or for the common public? Why should someone who takes 10-20 km of the expressway pay Rs 135 just like the person who is travelling the entire distance of 118km?”

Kumaraswamy also attacked Mysuru-Kodagu BJP MP Pratap Simha and asked despite several glitches, why is toll being collected. He also asked why the public was not given a choice to either pay the toll or avoid it.

Simha had said, “There are no uninterrupted services roads on other roads but in order to accommodate all vehicles, we are providing service roads and it will be finished in the next six months. We are allowing all vehicles on the main expressway, he added.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai Thursday said there is an “unnecessary politicisation” of the toll collection. He specifically hit out at Congress and its state president D K Shivakumar for politicising the issue.

“Before NHAI came in, everyone knew it would be a toll road. It is being politicised, especially by Congress president D K Shivakumar, not the common people. His use of language, his conduct won’t bring respect to Kannadigas,” Bommai said.

Several organisations, including the Congress, have held protests at the toll plaza on the expressway near Ramanagara, during the last two days, opposing the toll collection.

On March 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 118-km Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway project. The expressway reduces the travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from around three hours to about 75 minutes, according to officials.

The Rs 8,480-crore project involves six-laning of the Bengaluru-Nidaghatta-Mysuru section of NH-275. In fact, Sridhar had clarified that it is a six-lane expressway and not a 10-lane project as is being projected by a section of the media.

“I never said it was a 10-lane expressway. Along with a six-lane expressway, there are four-lane service roads (two lanes on each side). The centre has approved only a six-lane access controlled highway and that is what you are seeing. It is mandatory to provide service roads in the habitat zone which we have provided,” he had said.

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