New Palwal toll plaza finally operational after 2-month stir

Tribune News Service

Palwal, July 1

The new toll plaza between Palwal and Faridabad began functioning today, after about two months of agitation. A stir, held under the banner of the Toll Hatao Sangharsh Samiti, had alleged violations in acquisition of the panchayat land of Gadpuri village for the plaza, which led to a delay in its start, said district officials.

“Located midway between Palwal and Faridabad, covering a distance of around 35 kilometres, this plaza has come in the wake of the six laning and construction of some flyovers, including the three and half kilometers-long flyover in Palwal town, to provide red traffic light free access to vehicles moving towards Delhi and Agra on the National Highway-19”, said an official of the Delhi Agra Toll Road(DATR), the agency looking after the upkeep of the national highway(NH).

Admitting to a tussle running for over several weeks, he said the toll plaza which was due to start on May 20 has become operational after an agreement was reached. According to the pact, the company has agreed to pay compensation forthe acquired village land and reduction of the monthly pass charges from Rs 315 to 200 for residents of the villages falling in the 20-km range of the plaza. These were some of the demands raised by the samiti.

This is the third toll plaza in the 65-km stretch of the NH-19 between Badarpur border (Faridabad-Delhi) and Karman border (Palwal-UP), said officials of the local administration. “It could not become operational till June 30 in view of the protest by the residents, who had been staging a dharna in support of their demands,’’ says Karan Singh Dalal, a former Minister, who was among those spearheading the stir. Besides Dalal, two former MLAs, including Raghubir Singh Tewatia and Tek Chand Sharma of the BJP, were among the members of the sangharsh samiti. Dalal said as the agency operating the plaza had agreed to pay the land compensation, the samiti had ended the stir. However, he said the issue of the Palwal town flyover would be taken up in the High Court, as it had been made four lane instead of six lane as per the norms.

Company to pay compensation for Acquired village land

• According to the pact, the company has agreed to pay compensation for the acquired village land
• Reduction of the monthly pass charges from Rs 315 to Rs 200 for residents of the villages falling in the 20-km range of the plaza.
• Around 45,000 vehicles, expected to move on this stretch, will have to pay the toll charges announced already.

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