GUWAHATI: As many as 18 new toll gates are likely to be opened in Assam.
If 18 new toll gates do in fact come up, the total number of toll gates in Assam will increase to 27.
It may be mentioned here that out of the 18 new planned toll gates, five are likely to become operational by Durga Puja this year.
Assam has a total of nine (9) toll gates that are currently operational under the national highways authority of India (NHAI).
The nine toll gates in Assam that currently operational are Kokrajhar (Patgaon Toll Gate), Bongaigaon (Dahalpara Toll Gate), Nalbari (Galia Toll Gate), Kamrup (Madaanpur Toll Gate), Nagaon (Raha Toll Gate), Hojai (Mikirrati Gao Gaon Toll Gate), Dima Hasao (Mandardisa Toll Gate), Kamrup-Metro (Nazirakhat toll gate) and Cachar (Balacherra Toll Gate).
This news comes amidst ongoing debates on the increase of toll taxes in Assam and throughout the country, with protests from various organizations.
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Toll taxes were raised by at least 10 per cent across the country earlier this year.
Slamming the plans of opening of new toll gates in the state, Assam congress president Bhupen Borah said that “more toll gates will break the back of the common people”.
“70 percent of the population in Assam rely on agriculture and are poor. How will they pay for just travelling by road?” said Bhupen Borah.
He added: “This government under CM Himanta Biswa Sarma does not care about common people and is just focussed on filling up its pocket by looting the general public.”
Toll gates in Assam are the check points wherein the passers-by will have to stop and pay the toll fee to the concerned officials.
The toll tax is collected from the toll plazas with the sole purpose of recouping the construction and maintenance costs incurred in maintaining the toll roads or toll bridges or highway roads.