Discriminatory toll Plazas; Discouraging Pilgrims, Harsh on students & Dishonouring gallant warriors: DSS

Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, OCT 16 :
Reacting to a large number of calls and brewing up public resentment against the newly instituted toll plazas the Dogra Sadar Sabha (DSS) held a special meeting of its core group convened by their president, Th. Gulchain Singh Charak. In his opening remarks, the Former Minister apprised the members of the public resentment brewing up in the whole of Jammu region in general and Jammu, Samba and Hira Nagar areas in particular against the toll plazas being put in place by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and sought views from the members.
Members also pointed out that the pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine will have to get delayed and pay at three toll plazas in a short distance of two to three hours of drive, namely at Raj Bagh/Hira Nagar, Sarore and Ban. This sounds like a deliberate mischief to discourage religious pilgrimage and create hurdles on the way of devotees arriving from all over the country, including foreigners.
Members pointed out at the poor designing also, creating road block at Sarore and many complaints about the crude and rude behavior of the Toll Tax collectors and the contractor’s men. Some members called it discriminatory to Jammu region since this spineless administration dare not place such hurdles, north of Banihal pass and is still maintaining the ‘K’ centric postures even after much hyped abrogation of Article 370 and the ensuing UT status to Jammu & Kashmir. Excited members called it a punishment only for Jammu region that will further hit the subdued tourism by further taxing the pilgrims to besides Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, Shudh Mahadev, Sukrala Mata, Shiv Khori, Budha Amarnath, Shahadra Sharief and Nangali Saheb Gurudwara etc. All the devotees on these pilgrimages will have to pay thrice within about 120 km of distance, which is harsh and unfair.
That besides, there are daily commuters between Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts on jobs and students going to the colleges, Central University and the proposed AIIMS & IIT. Their cost of transportation will go high.
The J&K State Director of the War decorated India (WDI), Col Dr. Virendra K Sahi, a Vir Chakra awardee himself drew the attention to GoI Gazette, GSR No. 62(E) 6.2 1997, GSR No. 336(E) dated 13.4 2000, Section 8A of National Highways Act 1956 (48 of 1956 and para (B) of notification No. NH-11065/15/2002-P&M dated 27,10. 2003. He pointed out that as per the notifications, the list of those exempted the Tolls tax includes gallantry medals awarded distinguished warriors like Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Kirti & Shaurya Chakra. However, in total disregard and disrespect to this honour granted by the President of India, the notice boards displayed at the toll plazas have omitted the distinguished gallant heroes, who risked their lives for the defence of the nation. “J&K State has seen maximum, 38,000 sacrifices inspired by acts of such brave warriors” added Brig MS Jamwal adding that “It is most ungrateful and condemnable of who so ever is responsible for this act of disrespect to our real national heroes”.
President DSS urged the Governor, the concerned Advisor Shri Farooq Khan and MoS in-charge grievances in PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh to roll back these additional toll plazas that are discriminatory, harsh and counterproductive against the already suffering tourism as also disrespectful to our gallant national heroes, most of them in an age of supper Senior Citizens. The meeting was attended by Sh. Prem Sagar Gupta, Brig M. S. Jamwal, Gambhir Dev Singh Charak, Col. Dr Virendra K. Sahi,VrC, Janak Khajuria, Amanat Ali Shah, Dr. Raghubir Singh, Balwant Saini, M. L. Bhagat, G. L. Sharma, Haji Bashir Ahmed, S. S. Sambyal, Shiv Charan Singh Sambyal, O.P.Sangra, Raj Kumar Sharma, Ashok Singh and Others