Mahapanchayat against toll charges near UER-2

Residents of nearby villages alleged that the police removed the tents from the road today, forcing the villagers to gather next to the road instead.

A mahapanchayat was held on Sunday morning near the Mundka-Bakkarwala toll plaza on the Urban Extension Road - 2 (UER-2) by residents of nearby villages, who gathered to demand that they and other local residents be exempted from the recently imposed toll. This comes after a series of protests at the site over the same issue.

Villagers gather at the Mundka-Bakkarwala toll plaza. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

The toll was organised by Palam 360, a body of many village Panchayats in Delhi. “Our demands remain the same – we want to be exempt from the toll, and want the u-turn cuts to be opened. On 27 September, we will hold another mahapanchayat in Mundka, and will start sending a committee across the villages to speak about our protest, and how to take it further,” said Ram Kumar Solanki, the leader of Palam 360.

Residents of nearby villages alleged that the police removed the tents from the road today, forcing the villagers to gather next to the road instead.

Another mahapanchayat was held on Saturday morning. “In that, it was decided there that if our demands are not met till September 20, we will hold an indefinite protest from the 21st, stop paying the toll, and block the plaza with our vehicles,” said Roshan Lal from Mundka.

The National Highways Authority of India started imposing the toll at the plaza from August 24, prompting protests to begin two days later. The toll rates for return journeys are ₹350 for light motor vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans, and a monthly pass is being offered to residents of villages within 20km of the toll plaza at the same rate, totalling ₹4200 for a year. Residents from nearby villages have stated that even this option was too expensive for them.

Speaking to HT, an NHAI official requesting anonymity had earlier said that “The protests are unwarranted as alternative toll free routes exist and it is up to the political class to address the protesters.” However, villagers had said that the alternative routes, which go through the villages, are not a solution as they are much longer and damaged.