Deepak Kumar, president Municipal Committee, Vijaypur expressed anguish against the nefarious act of Thandi Khui Toll Plaza authorities’ and its employees for looting the people of district Samba traveling in their personal vehicles by charging the Toll Tax illegally and in an un-authorized way from them. Talking to reporters here, he said that earlier the employees had started charging the Toll Tax from owners of personal vehicles of district Samba despite of the fact the Toll Tax for vehicle registered within district Samba were exempted. He said as the president of Municipal Committee, Vijaypur along with president of Municipal Committee, Bari Brahmana, traders and business community members took up the matter with the Deputy Commissioner Samba, Regional Transport Officers and authorities of NH1 and the Deputy Commissioner, Samba had issued the directions to the authorities of Toll Plaza for not charging the Toll Tax from the vehicles’ owners whose vehicles are registered with ARTO, Samba. But the complaints have been received that the employees of Toll Plaza are forcibly charging the Toll Tax from the locals of district Samba. He said that the country is facing the trouble of unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19. The people of district Samba are obeying and maintaining the advisory issued by the Government i.e. keeping social distance and stay at home during the lockdown. Only those persons whose family member are suffering from diseases or due to some urgent works are plying their vehicles but the employees of Toll Plaza are looting them by taking the disadvantage of lockdown. He said that the administration of district Samba has clarified that no order has been issued to charge the Toll Tax from locals whose vehicles have been registered with ARTO Samba. He urged the authorities to lodge the FIR against the Toll Plaza authorities as well as employees at the earliest and a notice board be install on the both side of Toll Plaza mentioning that the vehicles registered with ARTO, Samba are exempted. Otherwise the people will lose patience and they would come on road to launch agitation for which the administration as well as NH1 authorities will be responsible. Even the commuters travelling on Jammu -Udhampur NH alleged that return Toll is not accepted at Ban Toll Plaza despite the issuance of a notification by Government in this regard. They said the commuters visiting Udhampur, Reasi and Katra in their own vehicles if had to return within the day are accepted only one sided Toll on the plea that the Toll will be separately received from both sides. In this way the commuters are put to lot of harassment.
