Thackeray to lead state-wide rasta roko on Wednesday

The MNS chief said he will intensify the agitation against toll collection. “A state-wide rasta roko will be held on Wednesday and I will be at the forefront. If you have guts, stop me or arrest me,” Thackeray said, urging party workers and citizens to join him.
The MNS agitation against toll collection would continue till the state government responds to the queries raised by him, he said.

Earlier, Thackeray alleged that the state government was continuing with toll collection for raising funds for ministers and political parties. “The toll collection goes to ministers as it continues even after recovery of the construction cost of roads. Why should we pay for the election fund of ministers?” he asked.

Thackeray said after he was criticised for launching the protest against toll collection, he had approached Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan four times to discuss the issue. But Chavan expressed helplessness, saying he was heading an alliance government. “Then I approached the court to challenge toll collection, but have only been able to get postponement of hearings,” he said, adding that he had tried all options and there is no other way left but to hit the streets.

“I am not mad. I use to pay toll, but realised that there does not seem to be an end to it,” Thackeray said, pointing out that the agencies collecting tax are giving wrong information and getting their contracts extended for recovery of the expenditure on road construction.

“I have been served a notice for vandalising toll booths, but I won’t pay the damages,” he said, adding that there is no transparency in toll collection. There are a total of 13 taxes for roads and vehicles in Maharashtra, he said.

“Road conditions are bad and people are dying in accidents, but the state government only focuses on toll collection,” Thackeray said. “No government authority implements the traffic rules and ensures safety of commuters.”

On the comments of NCP MP Supriya Sule that the agitators should not damage public transport buses but vehicles of ministers, the MNS chief hit back saying his activists are capable of doing that and those in power should be happy that only toll plazas are being damaged.

Giving all information on toll collection received through RTI, he said the state government was not following Centre’s rules on toll collection, such as the distance between two booths.

PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal had urged the MNS to protest against toll collection in Karnataka and Gujarat as they too collect the tax. Thackeray said Karnataka and Gujarat governments have been following the Central rules on toll collection. “Toll tax in the neighbouring states is half of what is charged in Maharashtra. There are good facilities for halts along the highways there, but in Maharashtra — except on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway — there is no facility for commuters,” he added.

On the Shiv Sena criticising him for the toll agitation, he said, “I fail to understand whether Shiv Sena is in opposition or with the state government.”