GNLF demands closure of Rohini Toll Plaza

REZA PRADHAN

DARJEELING,: Following an order by the Bengal government to close unauthorized toll gates across the State, the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) on Wednesday met the Darjeeling District Magistrate demanding the closure of the Rohini Toll Plaza.

The GNLF had earlier staged a protest at Rohini on May 7 with the same demand and had managed to stop toll collection for some time before operations resumed later in the day.

“A delegation of our party today met the Darjeeling DM regarding the toll tax being collected at the Rohini Toll Plaza. We had submitted a memorandum on May 7 itself demanding that toll tax should not be collected there, but the DM was not present that day. We had also forwarded copies to the GTA Tourism Department, the Kurseong SDO and the Kurseong Police,” said GNLF spokesperson Y. Lama.

Lama also referred to the order issued by the Bengal government directing the closure of illegally operated toll collection points in the state.

The order, issued by the office of the Chief Secretary on Tuesday, stated that “all toll gates, drop gates, barricaded structures and operational collection points from which vehicular traffic is operating across all districts of West Bengal, which have not been duly approved/authorized” by the state, must be closed with immediate effect.

The order further directed concerned District Magistrates to identify such points and take necessary action. A list of both authorized and unauthorized collection points has to be compiled and submitted to the Under Secretary by 12 noon on May 15.

Speaking further on the Rohini Toll Plaza issue, Lama said, “We feel there is no transparency in the toll being collected by the GTA regarding where the funds go or how the system functions. Our late leader Subash Ghisingh had built this route for the benefit of the people, and the road is also named after him. We feel it is not right to collect toll tax at such a place.”

Requesting the GTA to stop toll collection at Rohini, Lama added that the District Magistrate assured the delegation that the matter would be discussed with the GTA.