The Agony of Enduring Toll Tax at Murthal in Haryana

Why should we pay toll tax? Because the NHAI, on behalf of the Indian government, is supposed to provide us with well-maintained, smooth roads. The answer is simple, isn't it? However, the question that one should ask the government is that are we getting for what we are paying? Are we supposed to pay every other tax that the administration imposes on the common man, even if it is erroneous? Are we not supposed to raise our voice if we see any wrongdoing happening around us?

The latest misconduct from the Indian government has surfaced in the form of toll tax being levied on the motorists at Murthal in Haryana. The entire stretch of NH1 from Delhi to Panipat used to be a tax-free zone, and the automobiles would glide from one point to the other. But just by enforcing one huge barrier in Murthal, the Haryana government has played havoc with the professional and personal lives of the Indians, at least the natives of Haryana state. Needless to say that traveling on this stretch of highway has become expensive, the main thing that concerns the travelers is the inconvenience caused due to this measure.

The trickle-down effect of the traffic jam at the toll booth begins as soon as one leaves Panipat, which is located at a distance of 45 kilometers from Murthal in the same state of Haryana. Such an enormous expanse between two cities is too much to bear the slow moving vehicles on the national highway. Once you hop on your car on the Panipat Flyover, the car cannot gain a speed of more than 40-60 kilometers per hour. Earlier, you could reach Delhi in a couple of hours only, but now it takes double the time just to reach West Delhi, forget talking about the farther corners of the city. The massive traffic jam on the entire stretch from Panipat to the capital of India does not get down well with the travelers and commuters.

The cities adjacent to the capital city such as Sonepat, Murthal, Gannaur, Panipat, and Karnal have given millions of job persons and businesspeople to Delhi. Now that all of these people have settled well there, and millions of students think of doing so in near future, they have to think twice before coming to their hometown. At present, people who have to go to Delhi for a countless number of reasons, for the apparent reason that the capital city is a hub of innumerable businesses and healthcare facilities, they have to face the agony of colossal road traffic for at least 3-4 hours every time.

The BJP, which began its work with a reputation of being a citizen-friendly government, is now transgressing its own policies and principles. The entire regime is downgrading into an administration that believes in looting as much money as they can from the common folk in the name of taxes, if not bribe. The government is required to provide the facilities first, which in this case is a flawless highway, and then ask people to pay for it, not the other way round. It is high time that the Indian civilians come forward and raise a voice against such wrongdoings, even if they are legal on papers, but play a mayhem with their lives. Alas! that the paranthas at the Murthal dhabas have become even more of a luxury than before!