A toll plaza located at Sarore in the Samba district has become a new battleground in the Jammu region. Not only different political parties and social activists,  but the Bar Association of Jammu and Kashmir High Court(Jammu wing),  Chamber of Commerce and Industry have also thrown their hats in the ring to put pressure on the Union Territory Administration to address the genuine grievance of the commuters.

Since July 19, 2023 passengers have been facing hardships due to the suspension of traffic on the bridge over Tarnah Nallah along Jammu-Pathankot National Highway.

Flash floods caused damage to three pillars of the 580-meter-long bridge located between Dayalachak and Chadwal Morh stations on the Jammu-Pathankot-Delhi National Highway. 

Since then, the traffic has been operated via the border route from Chadwal Morh-Sanji Morh-Chaktra-Londi- Rajpura- Ghagwal. Sensing the mood of the angry commuters, a campaign was launched to suspend the collection of toll fees at the Sarore toll plaza.  In the absence of any plausible solution, the UT administration failed to address the grievances of the commuters. J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on Sunday, said that he has taken up the issue of the Sarore toll plaza in Samba with the Chairman of the National Highway Authority of India.

“People are facing problems due to damage caused to (Tarnah) bridge. The NHAI is sending its team and hopefully, the issue will be resolved,” he added. Ironically, the National Highway Authority of India has failed to provide any alternative to the commuters. Though several attempts were made to construct a temporary diversion, the same could not be executed as the construction material was washed away on many occasions.

To lend support to cause, leaders belonging to different political parties including Bharatiya Janta Party, Congress, National Conference, APNI party issued statements demanding immediate suspension of toll plaza at Sarore.

The activists of Yuva Rajput Sabha, last week staged a protest demonstration at the Sarore toll plaza and issued a warning to the NHAI authorities that if they failed to suspend the collection of toll fees by August 21 they would uproot the toll plaza.

On Monday, a large number of activists of Yuva Rajput Sabha (YRS) led by their leaders were detained by the police as they continued their protest despite assurances from the higher authorities to look into their demands at the earliest. Meanwhile, the district administration of Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba Tuesday imposed Section 144 around the Sarore toll plaza to prevent assembly of protestors and road blockades.

Despite the heavy presence of security forces, several protest demonstrations took place on Tuesday. At some places in Jakh, the police used tear smoke shells and mild lathi-charge to disperse the protestors in order to throw open the traffic on the highway.

The local BJP leaders while addressing a press conference in Jammu on August 19 made it clear that the people should not be made to suffer as the National Highway is in very bad condition.

 BJP vice president and former Minister, Surjeet Singh Salathia in a statement said, “National Highway as well as service roads are in a dilapidated condition and need immediate repair. Traveling through it as well as service roads has become time-consuming and commuters are facing many hardships”.

He said that the BJP has already taken up the matter with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). Lok Sabha MP Jugal Kishore Sharma too has written a letter to the Union Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari appealing to look into the matter and has sought his immediate intervention.

Bar Association of Jammu has also extended its support to the agitating activists, stating that it is unfair to collect toll fees from the public when the toll plaza is legally invalid, as it is against their own manual.

 Office Bearers and Sr. Members of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry Tuesday strongly condemned the action of the administration to impose section 144 and lift the activists of Yuva Rajput Sabha who were peacefully and democratically protesting and demanding the removal of Sarore Toll Plaza on the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway.

The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference has also accused the government of engaging in exploitative practices, claiming that the collection of toll at Sarore Plaza is undemocratic and arbitrary.

Earlier, MoS PMO Dr Jitendra Singh, on August 3, had said, “In response to public demand, the request was made by me to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to allow relaxation on the toll tax being charged at Lakhanpur and Thandi Khui toll plazas, respectively, for commuters who are unable to take an alternative route due to the damaged to Tarnah Nallah bridge, causing disruption of traffic on NH4. The NHAI has agreed to bring about suitable curtailment in the toll tax at these two locations.”

Apni Party provincial president, Jammu, and former Minister, Manjit Singh also criticised NHAI for continuing the practice of charging Toll Tax at Sarore in Samba district despite the worse condition of the Jammu-Pathankot Highway.

DIG Jammu-Samba-Kathua Range, Shakti Pathak along with SSP Samba, Benam Tosh visited the protest site to pacify the agitators and asked them to withdraw their agitation. DIG said that the positive outcome is expected as the Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha has taken up the issue with NHAI authorities. He said the protestors should wait for some time to see the response of the LG’s communication to NHAI authorities.

DC Samba, Abhishekh Sharma also visited the site on Monday to convince the protestors to withdraw their agitation as LG’s has already taken up the issue with NAHI.