Villagers ransack toll gate over unfinished highway project

Dindigul: Residents of Lakshmipuram village in Dindigul district vandalized a toll plaza on the Dindigul-Kumily national highway on Wednesday morning, protesting against the premature collection of toll fees despite incomplete roadwork.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) began work in 2011 to expand the Dindigul-Kumily stretch into a four-lane highway. However, more than a decade later, only two lanes have been completed, with construction still ongoing.
Villagers along the route have consistently demanded that toll collection should begin only after the full four-lane expansion is finished. They argue that they rely on this road to transport agricultural produce to Oddanchathram, the state's largest vegetable market, and to Dindigul. They stated it was not correct for the NHAI to start collecting tolls even when the work is pending.
Under these circumstances, the villagers learned that the NHAI had planned to open the Lakshmipuram toll gate on Wednesday morning. So, hundreds of villagers gathered at the site in protest. As tensions escalated, toll workers abandoned their posts, and the crowd proceeded to ransack toll booths and other infrastructure.
Pattiveeranpatti police and revenue officials arrived to de-escalate the situation and managed to disperse the protesters after negotiations. Meanwhile, NHAI officials filed a complaint against 300 unidentified villagers for vandalizing the toll plaza.
The toll gate at Lakshmipuram is one among others on this 133km stretch. The highway connects the towns of Theni and Cumbum, and the stretch sees peak pilgrim movement during the Sabarimala season every year.