Fraud begins at Talapady toll plaza: Beware of wrong receipts!

Mangaluru, Feb 15: Even as the row over collecting toll at the newly commissioned toll plaza on National Highway 66 at Talapady in Mangaluru taluk remains to be settled, a fresh row erupted on Tuesday, with the vehicle owners accusing the operators of duping them by reissuing unclaimed receipts.

Sometimes, vehicle users in a hurry to pass through the plaza move out immediately after paying the fee without collecting the receipt. Booth operators allegedly reissue such unclaimed receipts to those who demand receipt, accused vehicle owner.

On Tuesday Zainul Abideen, a resident of?Bokkapatna in Mangaluru was travelling in a car towards Kerala when he was stopped at the plaza around 1.20 pm. He paid the toll of Rs 35 and proceeded further. After travelling a distance, Abideen glanced at the ticket only to be taken aback that he was cheated. He had received a receipt for another vehicle KL 14 M 5820 that was printed at 8.37 a.m. the same day.

Immediately Mr. Abideen returned to the plaza and confronted the operator who dared the former to lodge a complaint. A person claiming to be the supervisor pleaded with Mr Abideen to return the receipt promising to issue a proper one.

NHAI Project Director Z. Samson Vijay Kumar said that the aggrieved person has to lodge a complaint with the NHAI, which would verify the allegation.

The concessionaire, Navayuga Udupi Tollway Company Pvt. Ltd., has said that it would examine the matter in detail. Company manager S. Amarnath Reddy said that all receipt details of the day, CCTV footages and vehicle counts would be examined.