Four toll plaza booths were vandalised in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur on Sunday after a dispute over collection of toll tariff.
The hooligans in large number vandalised the booths and burnt down the toll plaza property.
While Shiv Sena workers are being blamed for the attack, agitators claim that since roads are poorly constructed, there is no question of paying the toll. Shiv Sena, on the other hand, has called for a bandh in Kolhapur tomorrow.
Police claim to have detained some protesters vandalising the booths.
Although there are no reports on anyone getting injured in the protest, Maharashtra Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has appealed to maintain peace.
Six days ago, several members of anti-toll action committee had launched a hunger strike against toll collection. Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Satej Patil and Labour Minister Hasan Mushrif had met the activists and assured them that government would ask the company to stop toll collection. However, collection continued till today’s morning. This led to protest today.
An engineering company IRB infrastructure had established the toll plaze in October 2013. IRB Kolhapur Integrated Road Development Co Pvt Ltd, wholly-owned SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) of the company and had commenced the collection of toll at the Kolhapur highway.
