Hundreds of activists of the District Congress Committee (DCC) led by former Minister Ganeswar Behera on Wednesday staged a road blockade at Duhuria Chowk on the Paradip-Daitary Expressway demanding the shifting of a toll plaza at Srirampur to Marshaghai.
The activists alleged that according to norms of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), the distance between two toll gates on a NH should be over 60 km, where as the distance between the Srirampur toll plaza and the Tangi toll plaza is just 35 km.Besides, at a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary, it had been decided to shift the Srirampur toll plaza as it violates the NHAI guidelines.
Sources said the Chief Secretary level meeting which was also attended by the NHAI representatives had decided to form a team headed by the Principal Secretary of the Commerce and Transport Department, NHAI officials, among others, to visit the spot and find out a suitable place for relocation of the toll plaza at Srirampur. later, a team had made a field visit on September 2, 2010 and submitted its report to the Government on feasible locations for shifting the toll plaza. Then the Government after careful consideration of the matter had directed that the toll plaza of Srirampur would be relocated at Marshaghai.
However, though more than two years have passed, but the State Government has not been taking steps for shifting of the toll gate. Kendrapada ADM Ashok Kumar Panda rushed to the spot and discussed with the agitators. The agitators withdrew the blockade after the district administration assured them to take steps. They submitted a memorandum to the district administration for the Chief Minister.