KOCHI: Amidst strong protests from the local people and other organisations, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had to stop the toll collection at the Kumbalam Toll Plaza on NH-47, on Saturday.Following protests, the authorities have decided to convene a meeting of ministers, MLAs and the representatives of various organisations on Sunday to discuss the issue.Activists of various political parties and organisations, under the aegis of the National Highway Protection Council, took out marches to the Toll Plaza at Kumbalam on Saturday morning. Some of them picketed the toll booth. The agitators and the local people tore away the flex board put up by the NHAI displaying the toll rates. The agitators prevented the motorists from paying the toll. As the protests grew, the officials closed the toll counters for the day. Environmentalist C R Neelakantan inaugurated the march taken out by 20 organisations under the banner of the National Highway Protection Council. Hashim Chendampilly, Solidarity Youth Movement leader Ummer, Khalid Mundappilly and K Aravindakshan spoke on the occasion. After the NHAI stopped the toll collection, members of the National Highway Protection Council held a meeting and decided to launch an agitation till a permanent solution is found.Union Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies K V Thomas, Public Works Minister V K Ibrahimkunju, Excise Minister K Babu, MLAs, people’s representatives from the district and representatives of various organisations who oppose the toll collection and the NHAI officials will attend the meeting to be held at the Ernakulam Guest House. As the decision to start toll collection was taken by the Union Government, the possibility of evolving a solution at the meeting seems a distant possibility.
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