CPI(M) challenges premature toll collection on Kerala's NH 66

The CPI(M) has launched an opposition to toll collection at the Nattika toll gate on Kerala's National Highway 66, contending that the highway project has not been sufficiently completed to warrant charging users.

According to party representatives, several key components of the infrastructure project remain unfinished, including multiple bridges and approach roads that are essential to the highway's full functionality. The party argues that collecting tolls before these critical elements are operational amounts to charging road users for an incomplete facility.

To amplify their protest, the CPI(M) has announced plans to stage a march to the Nattika toll office on October 7. The demonstration is intended to pressure authorities to suspend toll collection until all outstanding work on the highway stretch is concluded.

The issue reflects broader concerns among political parties and commuters regarding toll collection practices on National Highways in India, where debates frequently arise over the timing of toll implementation relative to actual completion of infrastructure projects.