Surathkal action committee to join protest against toll hike at Hejamadi
Mangaluru, Nov 30: The action committee against Surathkal toll gate, which is winding up its month-long agitation against toll collection on Wednesday, will join the protest against increased toll collection at the Hejamadi toll gate.
With the closure of the Surathkal toll gate by Wednesday midnight, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to collect the same toll collected at Surathkal from Hejamadi toll plaza in addition to the existing rates at the gate.
In a statement here, action committee convenor Muneer Katipalla said the people have unitedly won the battle against the Surathkal toll gate. However, the decision to collect the same toll at Hejamadi, which is located in Udupi district, is proof of the failure of the elected representatives of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, he said.
He said the committee members will join the proposed protest against the increased toll collection at Hejamadi on Friday.
Though the process of the merger of the two toll gates began 10 months back, the people's representatives were in the dark about the proposal to collect the fee at Hejamadi, he said.
Katipalla said it is the collective failure of the people's representatives from both the districts who did not protest against the NHAI's decision.
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Apr 9 bypolls: Cong under illusion of winning with money, liquor, muscle power, says Yediyurappa
Bagalkot (Karnataka) (PTI): Veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa on Sunday alleged that Congress leaders came to campaign for bypolls two Karnataka constituencies with "suitcases full of money", under the illusion that they can win with cash, liquor and muscle power.
But people will "teach them a lesson," the former Chief Minister told reporters.
He also accused the Congress government in the state of indulging in corruption, "intoxicated by power".
"There is no need to have any doubt. They (ruling Congress leaders) have come with suitcases full of money under the illusion that they can win the election with money, liquor and muscle power," Yediyurappa said, taking a dig at CM Siddaramaiah and his cabinet for camping in poll bound constituencies for about a week now.
People have decided to ensure the victory of BJP candidates, and will reject the Congress' allurements, he added.
"By ensuring the victory of BJP's candidates in both Bagalkot and Davanagere South, people have decided to teach a lesson to the corrupt Congress government and CM Siddaramaiah, who have indulged in large scale corruption intoxicated with power," he said, and claimed that BJP is getting good response from the public during the campaign.
Bypolls for the Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly constituencies will be held on April 9. The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, respectively.
Yediyurappa alleged that the Congress was indulging in a "daylight robbery" by emptying the government's treasury.
Responding to a question, he said, the minority Muslim community is also aware of the Congress' "true colours", and will not fall for their allurements. "I think they too will stand by us," he added.
The BJP leader said that Siddaramaiah knows Congress is certain to lose in the bypolls and has therefore been campaigning in both constituencies for about a week now.
