Jajpur: The Panikoili and Srirampur toll plazas in this district are yet to be shifted to Akhuapada in Bhadrak and Marshaghai in Kendrapara district respectively even as a decision to this effect was taken three years ago, a report said Thursday.
The National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) had announced the shifting of the Panikoili toll plaza on National Highway-16 to Akhuapada during the expansion of the Chandikhole-Bhadrak stretch of the highway in November, 2018. However, insiders claimed that the NHAI authorities failed to implement the decision due to political interference.
Meanwhile, the NHAI issued a clarification said that the toll plaza at Panikoili will be shifted to Akhuapada once the six-lane work of the Chandikhole-Bhadrak stretch of the highway is completed and land acquisition for establishment for the toll gate is also done .
There are four toll plazas within a distance of 100km on NH-16, NH-53 (Chandikhole-Paradip) and NH-20 (Panikoili-Keonjhar).
The Panikoili and Srirampur counters are two of the toll plazas in Jajpur district.
However, two toll plazas functioning on NH-16 within a range of 52 km is in complete violation of rules. These two plazas are Panikoli toll plaza and Manguli toll plaza from where toll over several crores is collected daily from various vehicles.
A person from Bhubaneswar wishing to visit the Tarini temple at Ghatagaon has to pay toll fee thrice at Manguli, Panikoili and Anandapur toll plazas. The anomalies in toll fee collection have sparked resentment among the people. The NHAI had decided to shift the Manguli toll plaza to Bandalo, Panikoili toll plaza to Akhuapada in Bhadrak and the Srirampur toll plaza near Balichandrapur to Marshaghai in Kendrapara in July 2016.
The state transport commissioner wrote a letter (11063-dated-19-07-2016) to the state works secretary seeking his approval to the decision of shifting the toll plazas. Since then, three years have passed but the decision on shifting of the toll plazas is yet to be implemented.
It is alleged that the agencies managing the toll plazas fear that the shifting might result in revenue loss for which they are opposing the decision and have managed to defer the decision with the help of an influential political person in the area.
PNN
