STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Former MLC, Vikramaditya Singh has anguished over collection of toll charges at Sarore despite the severe damage caused to the national highway at Chadwal in district Samba. In a statement released on Tuesday, the former MLC emphasized that the Tarnah Bridge in district Samba, which was recently damaged in flash floods, will require months to resume traffic. He stated that until the bridge is repaired and traffic flow is restored, the authorities responsible for toll collection should refrain from charging toll taxes at Sarore. Instead, they should allow free movement of vehicles on the highway from the toll plaza, sparing commuters from any form of harassment, he said. Singh citied a similar incident of Himachal Pradesh, wherein toll collection was suspended at Sanwara Toll Plaza due to the damage caused to National Highway No. 5 between Solan and Parwanoo in the Solan district during the recent flash floods. Acknowledging the similar situation in Himachal Pradesh, the former MLC stated, “We have no objection to paying toll, but the condition of the national highway stretch from Jammu to Lakhanpur is not appropriate for toll collection at the moment.” He asserted that there is no issue on toll operations at Ban Toll Plaza, as the concerned road is in relatively good condition. However, he urged the NAHI authorities to prioritize the repair work on the Jammu Lakhanpur National Highway. Once the Jammu Lakhanpur National Highway is functional, they can resume the toll collection, he said. The former MLC urged the authorities to prioritize the convenience of the people and refrain from harassing them under the guise of toll collection. He emphasized that the damaged national highway has caused significant inconvenience to commuters and should be addressed promptly.