Protestors march to Mattanchery BOT bridge

KOCHI: With protests mounting against the toll collection by a private firm at Mattanchery BOT bridge violating the terms and conditions in the agreement entered into with the state government, around 150 people under the aegis of the AntiToll Movement took out a protest march to the bridge on Wednesday.The police prevented the march before it entered the bridge. Later a public meeting was held.
It was inaugurated by Vilayody Venugopal of the Plachimada Action Council. "The government should take the initiative to cancel the agreement as the company had violated the terms and conditions of the agreement. We have decided to go ahead with the protests till the company stops toll collection and the government takes over the bridge from the private firm," said Francis Kalathingal, president, Moolampilly Action Council. Earlier, the AIYF took out a march to the bridge raising the same demand. The march turned violent as the activists were blocked by the police. The activists of the Solidarity Youth Movement had taken out a march to the bridge in the first week of May. They had set the copy of the agreement on fire. The Janakeeya Pradhirodha Samiti headed by Justice V R Krishna Iyer and the CPI(ML) had also come up with similar protests.Congress leader V M Sudheeran will inaugurate the antiBOT convention organised by the AntiToll Movement in Kochi on Tuesday.