Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has written to chief minister Raghubar Das to expressed its concern over the state government’s decision to levy toll tax multiple times while travelling between Jamshedpur and Ranchi via Kandra and Chowka.

In his letter, SCCI vice-president (trade and commerce) Bharat Vasani said, “Commuting between Jamshedpur and Ranchi takes place via Kandra, Chowka, and then NH-33. One has to pay toll tax at the toll plaza of Adityapur Toll Bridge Corporation Limited (ATBCL), then pay again at Kandra 5km away and finally at Gidibera, that is 6km from the Kandra, where a new toll plaza began operational last month.”

Toll at such short intervals made commuting costly for the common man, he said and sought the chief minister’s intervention.

The new toll plaza at Gidibera was set up by state road construction department after the road was built by Jharkhand Road Accelerated Development Company (JARDCL), a private company.

Vasani pointed out that to travel to Ranchi, which is 120km from Jamshedpur, motorists were required to pay toll tax thrice if they go via Marine Drive where they come across the ATBCL toll plaza. Then came Kandra toll plaza on Tata-Kandra Road in adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district and finally, the new one at Gidibera on the Kandra-Chowka Road.

Those avoiding the ATBCL toll plaza and travelling to the capital on the Tata-Kandra Road and then Kandra-Chowka route would have to pay toll tax twice.

He said several businessmen like him often travelled to Kalinganagar in Odisha, about 200km from here. “We come across a single toll plaza while going to Kalinganagar. The quality of road is good too which helps us reach our destination within four hours,” he said.

Last month, Jharkhand legal advisory and development organisation (JLADO) had written to the chief secretary demanding immediate suspension of toll collection from the new plaza.

The outfit’s president Om Prakash, a social activist, claimed in his letter that rules forbade setting up toll plazas within 40km of an existing one. The road construction department had violated its own rule, he said.