Hejmadi‑Padubidri toll dispute prompts ministerial meeting in Karnataka

Residents of the Padubidri district panchayat area in Karnataka have been protesting the collection of tolls on local roads, calling it an undue burden. A delegation headed by former minister and Karnataka Congress campaign committee president Vinay Kumar Sorake met with Public Works Minister Satish Jarakiholi and Health Minister/Udupi district minister U.T. Khadar in Bangalore, urging a permanent exemption or a local pass system for the affected communities.

The delegation also asked for a legal review of toll collection on public roads and for measures to prevent unnecessary inconvenience to local vehicles. The ministers acknowledged the concerns and pledged to discuss the matter with relevant authorities. Several local Congress leaders, including V. Sukumaran, Navin Chandra J. Shetty, Abdul Aziz Hejmadi, Prabhod Chandra Hejmadi, Rameez Hussein, Mohammad Niyaz, Keshav C. Salyan and Lakshmi Shastri, were present during the meeting.