Total shutdown in Kolhapur to protest toll tax levy
January 9th, 2012 - 11:37 pm ICT by IANSKolhapur (Maharashtra), Jan 9 (IANS) The entire Kolhapur city observed a total shutdown Monday as part of a mass agitation against the state government’s decision to levy toll tax on road users.
Angry protestors on more than 500 two- and four-wheelers brought out a rally and carried posters displaying their disapproval for having to pay a toll to drive on city roads.
While schools and colleges remained closed, all other businesses including hotels, restaurants, markets, and even tea stalls downed shutters in protest.
The bandh was called by all political parties and social organisations’ joint action committee to demand withdrawal of toll imposed by the state government.
The government had signed an agreement for a Rs 220-crore project by IRB, an infrastructure development company for constructing around 50 km of roads in the city. The project was on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis, permitting the company to collect toll for 30 years.
As the state government recently granted the company permission to collect the toll, some protesters damaged some toll collection points to express their resentment.
According to police, IRB’s toll booth at city’s Kasabavada suburb was set on fire by unidentified people late Sunday making it the seventh toll booth of total nine to be damaged during the last three weeks.
Several leaders including Congress legislative councillors Mahadevrao Mahadik and Dhananjay Mahadik, legislator P.N. Patil and others participated in the mass protest.
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- Supreme Court to review BOT policy (Lead) - May 09, 2012
- Vidarbha farmers' group supports stir against toll collecion - Jun 17, 2012
- Raj Thackeray asks people to stop paying toll tax - Jul 24, 2012
- Tamil Nadu approves second phase of outer ring road - Jan 23, 2012
- Kolkata autorickshaw drivers disrupt normal life - Apr 03, 2012
- Mixed response to shutdown call in Andhra Pradesh - Aug 31, 2012
- SC to review build-operate-transfer policy - May 09, 2012
- Bangalore gets its first, country's longest elevated expressway - Jan 22, 2010
- Maharashtra may review road toll policy - Aug 10, 2012
- Karnataka against Bangalore airport road toll - Apr 28, 2011
- Defiant MNS asks Mumbai residents not to pay toll tax - Jul 29, 2012
- Raj Thackeray attacks Maharashtra government on toll tax - Jun 12, 2012
- Maharashtra gives sportspersons 5 percent quota in jobs - Oct 04, 2011
- Shutdown evokes mixed response in Andhra (Lead) - Sep 20, 2012
Tags: action committee, bandh, city roads, dhananjay, disapproval, four wheelers, infrastructure development, kolhapur city, legislative councillors, legislator, maharashtra, mass agitation, mass protest, protestors, resentment, road users, shutters, state government, tax levy, toll booth