JORABAT, May 28 - With the Sonapur toll plaza functioning normally from May 24, speculation is growing that the protests that were staged by several organisations when the plaza was under construction, were a mere eye-wash.
The residents of Dimoria in particular and the people of the State in general, wonder why the organisations that had initially stood against the government�s toll plaza plan have now gone silent on the issue.
It may be mentioned that the regional units of All Assam Students� Union (AASU), Amri Karbi Students� Union (AKSU), Axom Sangrami Yuba Chatra Sanstha (ASYCS), All Assam Koch Rajbongshi Students� Union (AKRASU), Assam Tea Tribe Students� Association (ATTSA) and All Assam Tribal Sangha (AATS) were initially spearheading the movement against the toll plaza.
After several protest activities, the construction work was brought to a halt and a meeting was held in Guwahati, where administration and NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) officials sat with the protesting organisations to sort out the issues. Later, a core committee was formed with the Sonapur Circle Officer, NHAI officials and representatives of the protesting organisations to submit a ground zero report for a fruitful decision. The committee was headed by the Sonapur Circle Officer.
According to sources, the agitating organisations made several demands at the meeting, like repair of the roads, basic facilities including truck parking space, availability of NHAI ambulance, highway beautification, trauma centre and most importantly, a permanent solution to the flash flood at Jorabat. However, no such activities have been seen as of date, but the toll plaza has started its operation. Naturally, this has raised the question as to why the organisations that were so vociferously opposing the toll plaza, are now totally silent on the issue.
Recently, after a copy of the core committee list went viral on social media with people questioning the role of the organisations and their silence on the issue, several news portals aired the news questioning the representatives of the organisations. Some portals even alleged �underhand dealings� to be the reason for their silence.
Conscious sections are of the opinion that the agitating organisations are playing with the sentiments of the people of the State just to fulfil their own vested interests.
Interestingly, it was the news about the silence of the protesting organisations � not the commissioning of the toll plaza on May 24 � that broke their sleep. Now, several leaders have come up with the clarification that they still remain opposed to the toll plaza.
The latest clarification to come is from AASU�s Dimoria unit. In a press release, the Dimoria unit said that on Wednesday it had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Sonapur Circle Officer demanding closure of the toll plaza within 24 hours as the NHAI has started collecting toll without completing the required facilities.
It may be mentioned that only the AATS and its allied organisations are still firm on their stand and had demanded a halt to the toll collection on the very day of its inauguration. They have also demanded a public meeting on the issue in Dimoria and threatened to launch massive protests and also file a PIL in the Gauhati High Court if the administration fails to meet their demand.
