SHILLONG:
A citizen of Jaintia Hills has demanded closure of one of the two toll gates in Jaintia Hills along National Highway-6, saying these are against the directive of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Advocate of East Jaintia Hills District Court, Kynjaimon Amse, in a letter to the project director of Project Implementation Unit (PIU), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Shillong, said that currently there are two toll gates – Ialong (Pasyih) and Lumshnong – operating in the district along the NH-6 and one of these needs to be closed down.
“I, therefore, call upon you to act on the statement of the Hon’ble Minister and to close down one of the toll gates in Jaintia Hills District within a period of 3 months. The NHAI should close down either Ialong (Pasyih) or Lumshnong toll gate,” he said in a statement issued to the press, on Monday.
Amse referred to a statement made by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, in the Lok Sabha on March 22, 2022, wherein he had stated that there shall be no toll gate within 60 km of another along the national highway.
The advocate further said that the Centre, through the minister, has also stated that if there is more than one toll gate within the distance, the excess one shall be shut down within the next three months.
“I wish to inform you that the distance between these (Ialong and Lumshnong) two toll gates is 53 km approximately from each other,” he said.
Stating that collections from the toll gates post the expiry of the three-month period, will be “highly illegal” and against the law, Amse urged the NHAI to act on this matter on a priority basis.
“Continuance of toll collection in both the toll gates after three months will be viewed seriously and will certainly invite legal actions from my end. It is in the best interest of the public that one of the toll gates be shut down as soon as possible,” he said.