Why collect toll tax when many roads are pothole-ridden: Maha Congress

Nashik, Oct 9 (IANS) Slamming the Maharashtra government, Congress Legislative Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said on Monday that when all the major roads in the state are riddled with potholes, why does the government collect toll taxes from commuters.

Citing instances, he said the Mumbai-Nashik highway’s condition is pathetic and a journey of barely 150 minutes can take almost double the time, and in places like Thane’s Bhiwandi town, its difficult to identify the road from the potholes.

“There is this non-stop problem of traffic congestion in Bhiwandi and other places, highways are filled with potholes and rubble, but toll collection goes on uninterrupted. The condition is the same on most of the roads and highways in the state, and people’s anger is increasing,” said Thorat.

He pointed out that the Congress had raised the issue of traffic jams, potholes and bad road conditions even in the Assembly, and the concerned minister had promised to take immediate action in the matter, “but instead of improving, things seem to have worsened now”.

“The people of the state are disgusted with the tolls being levied without corresponding facilities on the roads and highways and the Congress is fully with the masses,” declared Thorat.

The Congress leader’s strong statements came after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray renewed its anti-toll tax campaign by laying siege to various toll booths around Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Nashik.

Raj Thackeray reiterated that toll tax is the "biggest scam” in Maharashtra, as he warned that if the government tries to stop his men, they would ‘set fire’ to the concerned toll booths.

The MNS' renewed campaign against toll tax received a big 'thumbs up' from many on social media, with several blasting the state government for its unkept promises, bad roads and other related issues.