Udupi: Members of the Hejmady Nagarika Horata Samiti staged a dharna at the toll gate of NH 66 seeking the fulfilment of their various demands, at Hejmady village in Udupi district on Saturday.

Though the toll gate and a truck yard have been constructed at Hejmady, they are not operating yet. Hejmady is the southern-most tip on NH 66 in Udupi district, and borders the Dakshina Kannada district.

Besides the members of the samiti, the people from Hejmady and nearby villages participated in the dharna braving rains. They demanded that no toll be collected from vehicles until the work on the NH 66 was fully completed in Udupi district. The Navayuga Company implementing the widening (four-laning) of NH 66, should provide jobs for local people at the toll gate.

An underpass should be constructed at Hejmady to reduce the traffic congestion in the area. Those who had lost their lands for the construction of toll gate should be given sites and enhanced compensation. A service road should be constructed from Padubidri Beedu to Kannangar immediately, the protesters demanded.

Vinay Kumar Sorake, Kaup MLA and former Minister, said that he would urge the Deputy Commissioner to hold a meeting to discuss the issues raising from toll gate and truck yard within a week. It was essential that officers of both the district administration and Navayuga Company took the Hejmady Gram Panchayat and local people into confidence on all the issues connected to the toll gate.

If this was not done, he would not hesitate to launch an agitation, he said.

The protesters later submitted a memorandum to the Asadi, revenue officer, and Srinivas, an official of the Navayuga Company.