Rains halt illegal collection of toll over Manair

 WARANGAL: Spells of heavy rains over the past two days have washed away the illegal mud road across River Manair between Odedu village of Mutharam mandal in Peddapalli district and Garimallapalli village of Tekumatla mandal of Jayashankar Bhupalpally district.

The road across the river had been laid unofficially by politically powerful persons three years ago when connectivity between the two districts got disrupted after the state government took up construction of a bridge over the river in 2016.

People were initially happy but got shocked when these leaders formed a village development committee and without any official sanction started forcibly collecting money ranging from ₹50 to ₹500 depending on the vehicle that crossed the river.

Government authorities too have ignored completing the bridge, which has led to continued fleecing of the public.

Former deputy sarpanch of Odedu Inumula Satish told Deccan Chronicle that when he took up the issue of forcible collections to notice of the tahsildar, the latter said their department has nothing to do with the mud road. Odedu village secretary said she has not given permission for the construction of any kind of road over Manair River.

When people object to the collection of the illegal toll, they are threatened and their vehicle is not allowed to pass over the mud road until they part with the money. People having to cross the river have no other choice but to pay up. In the process, leaders have made crores.

Satish said now that the mud road has got washed away, state government should focus on completion of bridge in the best interests of people belonging to both Peddapalli and Jayashankar Bhupalpally districts.