Withdrawal Of Toll Tax Collection From Local People Demanded

MURREE, Jan 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 03rd Jan, 2017 ) : Citizens of the hilly area have demanded from National Highway Authority to withdraw toll tax collection from the local residents at Satra Mile toll plaza Pulgarah on M75.

Talking to APP, the residents of Musyari, New Murree Alyaot Phagwari and other adjoining areas of Murree Town strongly castigated the collection of toll tax from locals at Satra Mile tool Plaza.

They were of the view that collecting tax from locals was unrealistic and unjustified. During the British era, a local notable of Khanitaak Murree Sardar Khudadaad Khan fought a case in the court and got the decision from court to get the locals of Murree exempted from paying any toll tax.

They demanded the authorities concerned to eliminate this unpardonable toll tax immediately, terming this as basic violation of the fundamental rights of general public hailing from these areas.

According to NHA contractor, NHA had exempted locality of only Pulgarah village. Ishaq Abbasi, an inhabitant of Phagwari, also strongly criticized the collection of toll tax at Satra Mile toll plaza and said the local residents had to pay toll tax while traveling from native town to Federal capital.

Local residents are usually exempted from paying toll tax while traveling within the city and the toll tax is collected from those who either enter or leave the city from another city, another routine commuter Sajid Mahmood said while talking to APP.

He pointed out that toll taxes being collected from locals were against the fundamental rights of the public. He informed that dual carriage way was an easy access to Capital but owing to collecting toll tax now he use to travel through GT road.

When contacted, Assistant Commissioner Murree Arif Ali informed that tehsil administration had nothing to do with this toll tax collection. When contacted, Kashif Zaman Director Public Relations NHA said NHA had not given any exemption to anyone except ambulances, fire brigade vehicles, army vehicles and judges vehicles.

Cost of maintenance is very high in hilly areas and its not possible for NHA to exempt locals from tax, he added. He said he was not aware of any decision of the court regarding the exemption of residents of Murree from paying toll tax.