KalingaTV News Network
Sambalpur/ Sundergarh: The vehicular traffic on Biju Expressway came to a grinding halt for four hours between Sambalpur and Rourkela on Saturday as the protestors had staged road blockade protesting against collection of toll tax on the Expressway.
Separate protests were organised at three toll gates at Rengali in Sambalpur district, Lainga near Rajgangpur and Masakanikani of Sundargarh district between 8 AM to 12 noon.
The road blockade protests were called by Highway Users’ Forum and supported by the District Bar Associations of Sundargarh and Sambalpur. The protesters alleged that the L&T Company has been collecting illegally toll tax at Masnikani gate and Laing on the Biju Expressway.
However, no untoward incident was reported during the protest.
The expressway, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on March 12, has been constructed under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) mode with the state government bearing 36 percent project cost while L&T paid 64 percent of the funds.
Ms Kalinga