Bajrang Dal, VHP activists block traffic in Hoshiarpur

Hoshiarpur, Apr 2 (UNI) Activists of Bajrang Dal and Vishav Hindu Parishad today staged dharna and blocked vehicular traffic on various roads in the district to protest against the imposition of heavy toll tax on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) roads by private companies.

The activists, who were joined by other affected people, including private bus and truck operators, blocked traffic for more than two hours at Chagran on the Hoshiarpur-Chandigarh road, at Bassi Daulat Khan on the Hoshiarpur-Phagwara road and at Singriwala bypass on the Hoshiarpur-Jalandhar road.

Heavy toll tax has been imposed on BOT roads from Balachaur to Dasuya and from Hoshiarpur to Tanda by the private companies causing inconvenience to commuters. The traffic, however, resumed after intervention of SDM Pritam Singh.

Traffic jams on the above said BOT roads have become a regular feature these days following the installation of three toll-plazas at Mazari (Balachaur), Nangal Shaheedan (Hoshiarpur) and at Mangarh (Dasuya) on Balachaur-Dasuya BOT road and at Lachowal on Hoshiarpur-Tanda road.

The Punjab government had recently got strengthened and widened four lane Balachaur-Dasuya and Hoshiarpur-Tanda roads on BOT basis from the private companies.

The district administration had sent various representations of the truck and bus unions and some local NGOs to the Secretary PWD (B&R), Punjab , for the settlement of this dispute.

Meanwhile, leaders of local NGOs, private truck, buses and taxi operators constituted a ''Sangarsh'' Committee to pressurise the state government to lift the toll-plazas.

The Deputy Commissioner had called a meeting of the members of Sangarsh Committee to settle the dispute on March 31, 2007. But, when no relief was announced, the members staged walkout from the meeting.

The Sangarsh Committee has given a bandh call in Hoshiarpur on April 6.

UNI