2 toll plazas on NH 119 open, farmers protest at one | India News

BIJNOR: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has opened two new toll plazas on Dehli-Pauri National Highway (NH 119) on Tuesday amid protest by farmers at Bhaneda Plaza under the banner Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) against toll tax, citing that construction work of the four-lane highway is incomplete.
Talking to TOI, BKU’s mandal president Baburam Tomar said, “Construction of the national highway is still incomplete.There are three flyovers on the highway between Bijnor and Najibabad. Two of these flyovers are still under construction. Also, the service road close to Jataniwala village is riddled with potholes. NHAI should have repaired it. Some NHAI officials met us on Tuesday, and we have demanded that toll tax should not be imposed here until construction work is complete. NHAI has put crossings at every 5km stretch. There cuts should be as per the demands of villagers. Our talks with authorities are going on. We will not allow tax collection until the construction work is completed.”
NHAI’s project director Rajkumar Yadav said, “We have started two toll plazas at Mawana and Bhaneda. Chhota Mawana falls between Meerut and Bahsuma while Bhaneda plaza falls between Kiratpur and Najibabad. We have assured the farmers that tax will be collected on the section where work was completed.”
Notably, the highway was to be made four-lane from Meerut to Najibabad. The road from Meerut to Bahsuma and Bijnor to Najibabad has been converted into a four-lane highway. The second phase of construction from Bahsuma to Bijnor is yet to be done.