The users of the Mundali bridge over the Mahanadi have strongly opposed continuation of collection of toll tax for the last 23 years since the bridge was inaugurated in 1996.
The 1,348-metre bridge constructed at Rs 15.17 crore by the Irrigation Department was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Janaki Ballav Patnaik on January 30, 1996. Since then, tax is being collected from all three and four wheelers at the rates fixed by the Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation Limited. The rate chart undersigned by Engineer-in-chief is still affixed on the tollgate wall.
Locals and other users of the bridge have opposed toll collection saying that the cost of the bridge has already been recovered by the Government long ago. As per the rules, the collection of toll charge must be stopped when the cost of the bridge is mitigated.
While no toll charge is being collected from the newly constructed Madhusudan bridge over the Mahanadi at Nuapatna, it is not understood why the Government is still collecting toll charges for Mundali bridge, lamented Dr Narayan Panda, a local.
OPCC general secretary Uma Ballav Rath told this paper that he has given March 1 as ultimatum to the Government to close the tollgate, failing which the Congress would begin a dharna till the demand is met.
