NH-215, now named as NH-20, connecting Panikoili to Rajamunda, passing through the heart of Keonjhar district, was in the worst condition till a few years back due to transportation of ores. Sustained public agitation had forced the Government to construct a four-lane highway through the Built, Operate and Transfer (BOT) scheme in which the Gayatri Construction company had taken the bid between Panikioli to Remuli.
While the construction of Remuli-Rajamunda segment is going on, three tollgates have started collecting fees from vehicles in the Remuli-Panikoili segment, which is nearly completion. This has created resentment among public as they have to pay three times within a 80-km stretch on the same highway which seems unfair and illogical.
The vehicles from Joda to Bhubaneswar have to pass through five tollgates, i.e, Hasanpur, Khantaghar, Banajodi, Panikoili and Tangi, are collecting about Rs 400 toll taxes for four-wheelers and even more for six-wheelers and transport vehicles one way.
Owners of buses and four-wheelers passenger vehicles have expressed their inability to pay such high prices and threatened to suspend passenger services on this route. “We are not opposing toll collection, but let there be one toll collection gate for the newly-constructed highway instead of multiple gates,” the Keonjhar Bus Owners. Association secretary said.
He said the enforced toll collection would lead to a hike in the ticket prices for bus passengers in this route. local passengers coming to the district headquarters for work and employees working in the periphery have to pay heavily for their daily journey by vehicles. Even the journalists’ association has demanded issue of passes for them, regular travellers and employees.
Objecting to the collection of toll, the Bus Owners’ Associations of Champua, Keonjhar, Ghatgaon, Anandpur, Karanjia, Chandikhol, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack met the National Highway Authority of India NHAI) official requesting him to fix a monthly toll charge of Rs 1,000 per bus plying through Keonjhar, but the plea was turned down by the authorities.
Then, a joint meeting under the chairmanship of NHAI Project Director Rajesh Har Dash, KV Saikrishna Rao of the Maa Tarini Tollways limited and Venkataramana and Ashish Swain and Vijay Bhatia of Gayatri Constructions, State Private Bus Owners’ Association secretary Debendra Kumar Sahoo and representatives of other affected bus owners’ associations of Keonjhar and neighbouring district was held in Keonjhar to discuss the issue, but the negotiations failed.
A final decision would be taken after discussions with higher authorities; and till then, toll collection from passenger buses would remain suspended, Venkata Ramana from the NHAI informed the media. However, associations involved in passenger transport service have threatened to go on an indefinite strike if an amicable solution is not found by the authorities.