Assam: Controversy Around Golia Tollgate Continues

GUWAHATI : The controversy of Golia tollgate is in its peak after the complaint of local people against the bullies at the toll gate from outside the state was reported to the police on Tuesday.The toll gate is located on National highway 27 at Golia near Bhawanipur in Bajali district of Assam. The locals of Bajali confirmed that they are being harassed by the thugs since the beginning of the construction of the toll. They said that whoever passes through the toll, the employees torture each one of them.

According to sources, the tollgate is being run by a company called Topline Infra Projects which is not a Assam- based company. On Sunday, a protest was organised by the members of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) against the toll gate authorities .At this, the employees allegedly attacked the protesters in a way that the police had resort to lathi-charge. Around 50 members of the protest group were detained by the police for the violent act.

Seven to eight members were injured during the attack on protestors and the Manager of the toll gate, Humayun, was detained by the police.

The tollgate is illegal and should be demolished, according to the AAP leader Kamal Kumar Medhi. The party further stated that they had no intention of violence and had granted permission for protest from the District Commissioner as well.

According to the protestors, the district superintendent Dharmendra Das was also a part of the toll thugs. They were of the view that the police administration is in cahoots with the toll plaza racket. Further they mentioned that the tollgate lacks basic facilities for the public. Just like any other toll, it should at least have the first aid or drinking water facility for the travelers.

Medhi highlighted the fact that the minimum distance between two tolls should be 60km according to the highway rules, but here, the distance is just 47.3km which is against the law.

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