The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) facing stiff protest from villagers over construction of toll plaza at Mudma near Mandar on Ranchi- Daltonganj NH 75 has decided to shift the location from Mandar to Chanho block of Ranchi district.

The NHAI has asked the Ranchi district administration to provide two locations for construction of toll plaza. The district administration had given the proposals which included two sites at Chanho and one at Mandar for construction of toll plaza, but the villagers were opposed for construction of toll plaza at agricultural land at Mudma.

The villagers protest was supported by local Mandar MLA Bandhu Tirkey. The agitating villagers had even damaged the temporary divider constructed by NHAI for toll plaza.

The NHAI had even approached district administration seeking security arrangement for construction of toll plaza, however the villagers were not ready to relent from thier agitation and were not even ready to hand over agricultural land for construction of toll plaza.

The NHAI officials after visiting the site decided to shift the toll plaza from Mandar to Chanho.  n Thursday a meeting of district administration headed by Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Chhavi Ranjan was held in this connection. The meeting was attended by NHAI officials, LRDC and others. The DC directed the officials to prepare a project report for construction of toll plaza.

A senior official of NHAI requesting anonymity said, “after visiting the site we have decided to shift the toll plaza from Mandar to Chanho. We hope that there will be no protest on said venue.”

Meanwhile, Mandar MLA Bandhu Tirkey said, “ We welcome the decision of NHAI for construction of toll plaza at Chanho, but we urge the highway authority that agricultural land should not be used for construction of toll plaza.” Tirkey also said that as highway authority has accepted our demand we will not carry out any agitation against the construction of toll plaza.

Tirkey said that we have come to know that NHAI has decided to construct the toll plaza at Tedhi pul which comes under Chanho block. “There is non- agricultural government land near Tedi pull, we are optimistic that toll plaza will be constructed at site.”

The NHAI six years back started the process of construction of four laning of Ranchi Daltonganj highway, of which a four lane road had been constructed upto Kudu. The work on the stretch from Kudu to Daltonganj via Latehar is in process.