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| Former Minister Sadhotra urges rollback of Toll and Smart Meter measures, citing people's welfare | | |  Early Times Report
JAMMU, Aug 22: Former Minister and Senior National Conference leader, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, has called on the government not to treat the rollback of toll tax at Sarore on the Jammu highway and the decision on smart meters as a matter of prestige. He asserted that such illogical and unjust measures only burden the people and are akin to punishing them.
In a statement released today, Sadhotra emphasized that in a welfare state, facilitating the people is not a concession but a right. He deemed the imposition of toll at Sarore as an unnecessary burden on various sectors of society, including traders, industrialists, tourists, pilgrims, and common commuters. Sadhotra pointed out that the government already levies a cess on petrol and diesel for road construction and maintenance, making the additional toll levy redundant.
He criticized the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for disregarding the peaceful protests and concerns expressed by stakeholders. He urged the government to adopt a more reasonable approach, recognize the widespread demand, and roll back the decision to collect tolls at Sarore Toll Plaza and Lakhanpur, particularly considering that the Express Highway is still under construction.
Sadhotra expressed concern over reports of youth being arrested during protests and called for the immediate release of peaceful demonstrators. He stressed the importance of focusing on road construction, improvement, and upgradation, especially for the National Highway, instead of imposing more taxes on road users.
Additionally, he criticized the government for imposing smart meters on consumers and urged that the issue be resolved in line with popular aspirations. He reminded the current administration that they are meant to serve the people in a democratic country and should respect public sentiments rather than acting with an authoritarian approach.
Sadhotra's statement underlines the need for the government to prioritize the welfare of the people and to reconsider decisions that burden them unfairly. |
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