Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 13 Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Tuesday said the government will intervene in the issue of toll being collected at Nattika toll plaza on National Highway 66 following allegations of a police lathi charge against protestors there.
Satheesan gave the assurance in the state assembly after LDF MLAs K N Balagopal and K Rajan brought the issue to his attention at the fag end of the day’s session.
The CM said that the District Collector was instructed to talk to all stakeholders and arrive at a decision.
He said that the issue pertains to a 21 kilometer stretch where the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has directed collection of toll.
“We can examine the complaints of the people and take a decision,” he said.
Balagopal informed the House that toll was again being collected at the Nattika toll plaza despite the direction of Public Works Department (PWD) Minister P K Basheer not to do so.
He also claimed that local leaders of all parties, including CPI(M) and Congress, who were protesting against the toll collection were beaten with lathis by the police, injuring several of them.
He said that toll collection began while the collector had called a meeting of all the parties on the issue.
Citing news reports, Rajan said the toll was being collected as it was permitted by the Chief Secretary of the state and questioned how the bureaucrat could allow something that the minister had prohibited.
Later, in a statement, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Pinarayi Vijayan said that barely a day after state Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala assured in the assembly that police will not hit anyone on the head, protestors at the toll plaza were beaten with lathis and injured.
He alleged that the police were implementing their own ‘manual’ on the streets, ignoring the words of the minister and questioned who was in-charge of the force that was confronting protestors in this manner.
“Which external forces are controlling the police and the officials?” he asked.
Vijayan also demanded immediate action against the police officers who, contrary to the position expressed in the assembly, allegedly aimed lathi at the heads of the protesters.
The legitimate demand raised by the people of the village is related to the toll plaza that is being set up on the unfinished highway, he said.
(PTI News)
