Toll hike unfair as Centre collects Rs 23,000 cr from Karnataka: MP

Davanagere: The Union govt collected national highway toll of Rs 23,000 crore from Karnataka from 2019 to 2026, and the ministry of highways increased toll prices by 5% on Sunday, while providing fewer facilities for highway users, Rajya Sabha member and AICC general secretary Nassir Hussein alleged.On Sunday, Hussein told reporters that the NDA govt led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi focused on increasing prices, especially of essential commodities such as food, cylinder and medicine, by raising taxes. He said the govt planned to hike the price of more than 900 medicines, including those for diabetes, blood pressure and other essentials, which will affect poor people. "We made an attempt to debate in Parliament, but the Speaker did not allow us in the budget session," he charged.He alleged that the nation's foreign policy was destroyed and said the nation's role was zero in the West Asia crisis. He also said there were no preparations to tackle the scarcity of fuel. He said the govt earlier assured each domestic cylinder for every 25 days, but increased the period up to 45 days. "For all these reasons, people of the nation have had enough of the Union govt. I have travelled in Assam, Puducherry, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, including for two byelections in Karnataka. We will form the govt in at least three states this time," he said confidently.