With pressure mounting from all sections of society, the State government has officially requested the Centre to shift the tollgate from Jonnada to a bypass road near Modavalasa-Chelluru on the outskirts of Vizianagaram city.
Minister for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Kondapalli Srinivas, who discussed the issue with Vizianagaram MLA Aditi Gajapathi Raju, Collector B.R. Ambedkar and representatives of various organisations, wrote a letter to the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, to initiate necessary steps for the immediate shifting of the tollgate.
According to Mr. Srinivas, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had developed the Visakhapatnam-Raipur Highway (NH-43) via Vizianagaram and built a four-lane bypass road from Modavalasa to Gotlam on Vizianagaram’s outskirts five years ago. “The road development took place five years ago. Any toll plaza has to be established within 45 days of the road’s usage. However, NHAI violated norms and started toll collection from Jonnada on July 2 this year. People travelling between Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam have been compelled to pay toll tax while using the old road. In this light, the tollgate needs to be shifted to Modavalasa bypass area,” he explained.
North Andhra Teachers MLC Pakalapati Raghuvarma, Lok Satta Party President Bhisetti Babji, Vizianagaram Chamber of Commerce President Kapuganti Prakash, CREDAI State Vice President K. Subhash Chandra Bose and others asked NHAI to stop the collection of toll fee immediately since it violated rules and regulations.
Mr. Prakash hailed the MSME Minister, Collector and other officials who had taken initiative to bring the issue to the notice of the Union government.
