Bhubaneswar, Oct. 12: The state government has urged the Centre to shift the tollgate on Puri-Bhubaneswar NH-316 at Pipili by 5km towards Puri following protests by local residents.

Toll collection at this gate has been put on hold for the past one-and-a-half months after the residents threatened to launch an agitation on the issue.

Though the road was opened to the public before rath yatra, the collection at the tollgate was postponed following a request by the Puri district administration, as it would have created unnecessary traffic jams on the stretch during the festival.

Following the request, the National Highways Authority of India had, through a notification, announced that toll collection would begin at the Pipili tollgate from August 23. However, it was postponed after the villagers had threatened to launch a protest.

The four-lane road was built in a public-private partnership build-operate-transfer mode for Rs 810 crore. According to the tender, the contractor, who built the project, would be collecting money at the tollgate for 29 years.

Union surface and transport minister Nitin Gadkari opened the road to the public in the presence of chief minister Naveen Patnaik on July 10.

Local residents have argued that the tollgate is located within 5km of the Pipili notified area council. As no tollgates are allowed within 5km of a council, it should be shifted to another place. The central government, however, has said that since the tollgate is on a stretch that does not enter Pipili, the law is not applicable.

"Though the local people use only 11km stretch of the national highway, why should they pay for the entire 67km of the road that links Bhubaneswar with Puri? It is not acceptable. The people from 173 villages in the Nimapara and Kakatpur areas should be given a monthly concession pass at Rs 230 per month," said Nimapara MLA Samir Das.

Requesting a change in the location of the Pipili tollgate, works secretary Nalini Pradhan, in her letter to road transport and highways ministry secretary Vijay Chhibber, had written: "The check gate is within 60km of the another one operating near Manguli on the same highway. Besides, the people of Kakatpur are paying an additional tax at a tollgate before Konark, which is only 30km from the Pipili toll gate."

According to the norms, the minimum distance between two tollgates should not be less than 60km.

A highway official, on condition of anonymity, said: "At the time of floating a global tender for the project, it had been mentioned where the tollgate would be located. Taking into account the location of the tollgate, the contractors had applied for the project after considering its viability. Now the shifting of the tollgate is not possible at any cost."

The official claimed that the state government had signed a support agreement with the highways authority for the project.