Different organisations and civil society, including the District Bar Association and Highway Users Forum, organised a 12-hour Sambalpur Bandh on Monday protesting toll gate tax collection in the Biju Express Highway at Rengali.
They demanded that the vehicles bearing Sambalpur registration numbers be exempted from the tax collection. aEarlier, the members of the civil society had given an ultimatum to Collector Samarth Verma regarding the bandh on April 2.
“But the discussion between the Collector and the civil society members had failed for which the citizens resorted to such an extreme action,” informed Bhagabata Prasad Nanda, one of the frontline leaders of the organisation.
But looking at the examination of the students, only shops and commercial organisations and Government offices remained closed for the whole day. So also the vehicles remained off the road.
The bandh was peaceful since massive police arrangements were made in the major places. Collector Samath Verma clarified that the toll tax was genuine and the monthly tax was very less. “People should cooperate in developmental activities,” he said.