Congress leader running illegal toll gate in Telangana’s Peddapalli

An unauthorised one-kilometre earthen road laid across Manair river connecting Peddapalli and Jayashankar-Bhupalpally districts

PEDDAPALLI: Illegal collection of toll is becoming rampant in the district. Though one such toll gate was recently closed by authorities, an unfazed Congress leader is operating another one by collecting money from vehicles traveling through Manair river between Peddapalli and Jayashankar-Bhupalpally districts.

Since there is no road to travel between the two districts along that stretch, an unauthorised one-kilometre-long earthen road was laid right across the river between Kistampet, Kalvasrirampur mandal of Peddapalli and Burnapalli, Tekumatla mandal of Bhupalpally district.

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What is more surprising is that an illegal tender process was also carried out for collecting toll on this road! It is learned that a Congress leader from Kistampet bagged the tender at Rs 15.10 lakh.

Following this, his men are collecting Rs 30 from two-wheelers, Rs 100 from auto-rickshaws, tractors and other vehicles while it is Rs 200 for lorries. Since it is a shortcut to reach Peddapalli, Godavarikhani and Karimnagar, a number of vehicles are passing along the route paying the amount that is demanded at the unauthorised toll gate. Every day, over 100 vehicles thus pass through the toll gate.

It may be recalled that officials recently closed a toll gate that was being operated across the same river downstream of the existing toll gate between Oded, Mutharam mandal of Peddapalli and Garmillapalli, Tekumatla mandal of Bhupalpally. Following media reports and Peddapalli Collector Koya Sree Harsha’s instructions, Revenue and police officials closed the unauthorised toll gate.

For that gate, a private doctor had reportedly bagged the tender at Rs 18 lakh and was collecting Rs 35 to Rs 75 from vehicles by laying an earthen road across the river. Since it cut down the distance between the two places by about 30 to 40 kms, people from 80 villages belonging to Peddapalli, Bhupalpally and Karimnagar districts were using the unauthorised road. The toll collectors were raking in about Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh every day till it was closed by officials.

The official reaction to the latest illegal toll gate operated by the Congress leader is awaited.