Pawan Sokeen, 35, a backstage schoolhouse autobus operator from Dichaon Kalan colony successful south-west Delhi, skips the recently inaugurated Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) to scope Mundka, adjacent though it could prevention him implicit 30 minutes a day.
Instead, to debar the Mundka–Bakkarwala toll plaza, which charges ₹395 1 mode and ₹790 circular travel for his commercialized vehicle, adjacent connected journeys nether 7 kilometres, helium takes a 4-km longer way done Neelwal and Hiran Kudna.
“I gain ₹40,000 monthly, and if I wage a toll of astir ₹800 each day, what volition I beryllium near with?” helium asked.
Like Mr. Sokeen, radical surviving successful implicit 20 villages, including Baprola, Neelwal, Hiran Kudna, Rani Khera, Mubarak Pur Dabas, Madanpur Khadar, Karala, and Mohammad Pur Majri, assembled adjacent the Mundka toll plaza connected Sunday, demanding exemption from the toll taxation for those surviving wrong a 20-km radius.
The villagers, led by Surendra Solanki, caput of Palam 360 khap panchayat, met Mundka MLA Gajender Drall, Matiala legislator Sandeep Sehrawat, and Najafgarh MLA Neelam Krishan Pahalwan, who were determination astatine the tract to pacify the crowd, and threatened to artifact the expressway if their demands were not met.
Since August 26, Mr. Solanki has been holding panchayats successful respective villages against the toll. The villagers argued that the toll taxation has enactment an other load connected regular commuters, regular wage earners, students, and tiny concern owners.
The UER-II, a 54.2-km corridor, was inaugurated connected August 17 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to decongest metropolis roads and amended connectivity crossed the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) guidelines, the toll taxation for a circular travel is ₹350 for cars and vans, ₹565 for airy goods vehicles and minibuses, ₹1,185 for buses and trucks, and up to ₹ 2,260 for multi-axle vehicles. According to the rules, owners of section non-commercial vehicles residing wrong 20 km of the toll plaza tin get a monthly walk for ₹350. However, nary specified concession exists for commercialized operators similar Mr. Sokeen. An attendant astatine the Mundka–Bakkarwala toll plaza stated that the unit had been instructed not to cod immoderate fees from residents of Mundka and Bakkarwala until September 20.
‘Unfair tax’
Manish Shehrawat, 38, from Tilangpur Kotla said, “My mill is successful Mundka and godown successful Tilangpur Kotla. To transport goods from 1 determination to different wrong 6 km of scope wrong the aforesaid city, should I beryllium paying taxation each day?”
A fewer villagers besides pointed retired that, adjacent though the onshore for the task was acquired from them by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) successful 2006, they person not been exempted from the tax.
Amit Kharb, from Rani Khera, said, “The roadworthy is built connected our land. Still, we cannot usage it without paying tax. There is nary different mode but to protest.”
Heavy unreserved successful villages
Due to the toll charges, galore vehicles present instrumentality colony roads instead, resulting successful congestion and information concerns. “Anyone coming from Bahadurgarh oregon Dwarka and bypassing the toll is utilizing our colony roads to scope Rohtak Road,” said Sunita Shehrawat, 44, a nonmigratory of Hiran Kudna village.
These [village roads] 15–20 feet wide roads, look similar different highway. All kinds of trucks instrumentality these roads, causing postulation jams and starring to conflicts with the residents. At times, it becomes truthful inconvenient to question connected these roads. Once, it took america an hr to screen conscionable 500 meters successful our car,” said Ms. Shehrawat Some of the residents complained that the colony roads person been poorly maintained. “The nexus roadworthy we tin usage to debar the toll plaza is successful a atrocious condition. It is unsafe and increases our question time,” said Mohammed Aziz, 75, a Baprola resident, who travels often for spot dealings crossed Delhi.
“For radical residing successful Jai Vihar and Shyam Vihar, who person to scope Mundka, person nary different enactment but to instrumentality the expressway,” helium added.
