JORABAT, Feb 24 - The All Assam Tribal Sangha along with the regional units of All Tiwa Students� Union, All Bodo Students� Union and Bodo-Kasari Yuva Chatra Sanstha staged a demonstration at the toll plaza construction site at Sonapur today demanding abandonment of the move to construct the plaza.
The Sangha and some other organisations also boycotted a meeting organised by the district administration with those opposing the toll gate, NHAI authorities and other departments concerned in Guwahati on February 21, to discuss the issue.
The meeting was arranged following protests by several organisations soon after construction of the toll gate started. Memoranda were also submitted to the authorities calling for a halt to construction of the toll gate.
�As the entire stretch of the NH in Dimoria passes through a well-inhabited area with a huge tribal population, construction of the toll plaza in the area will go against the wish of the people and they are not ready to accept the �forced� toll plaza,� Ratneswar Rahang, president of the Tribal Sangha, said. �Don�t compel the people to launch an agitation,� Rahang warned the authorities.
Rahang further alleged that the NH stretch from Khanapara to Sonapur has many bad patches, with no basic facilities like ambulance, trauma centre, phone booths, no dedicated area for parking of trucks and no bus stands at important areas like the Jorabat junction.