‘Unfair burden’: residents from Delhi’s rural belt hold mahapanchayat near Bakkarwala-Mundka toll plaza

According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), a car is charged Rs 235 for a single journey at the Mundka-Bakkarwala plaza, while a return trip within 24 hours costs Rs 350. NHAI officials previously told The Indian Express that residents within 20 km are eligible for a monthly pass of Rs 350 for private vehicles on the submission of Aadhaar and vehicle registration documents. For others who cross frequently, a monthly pass has been introduced, offering 50 trips for Rs 7,765 a month, instead of Rs 11,750.

Speakers at the gathering said the issue concerned all villages situated around UER-II, as residents frequently travel short distances and should not be asked to pay tolls for such limited movement.

“In states like Rajasthan and Haryana, locals up to 10 km are exempt from tolls. Why should Delhi’s villagers be treated differently?” Surender Solanki, head of Palam 360, asked. He added that the movement was apolitical and solely raised in the interest of the rural population.

The villagers said they would wait until September 20 for the Government to remove the toll for local residents. From September 21, they would stop paying the tax and intensify their agitation, including indefinite demonstrations at the toll plaza.

On September 7, villagers announced the mahapanchayat in protest against the “unfair burden” that the toll plaza placed on farmers and residents. At that time, Solanki also met Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra, who assured that a resolution would be sought.

Villagers, however, argue that such arrangements are inadequate and that Delhi’s rural areas, which witnessed land acquisitions at low compensation, should not be subject to tolls.

“This is not just about toll, it is about the rights of rural Delhi,” a speaker at the mahapanchayat said.

From the homepage

US presses G7 countries to target India, China for ending Ukraine war

‘Guests will be sent to god’: Bomb threat sent to Delhi’s Taj Palace hotel; two hospitals get similar emails

Rape of Sikh woman in UK sparks outrage; ‘racially aggravated attack,’ say police