Pune: The Farmer Action Committee has issued a strong warning demanding that all vehicles from Maval should either receive toll exemptions at the Urse toll plaza or that the toll plaza should be closed altogether.

If their demands are not met, the committee has threatened to launch vigorous protests.

Following several protests from Maval residents, it has been noted that at the unauthorized Varsoli and Somatane toll plazas on the Pune-Mumbai highway, only vehicles such as cars and jeeps without FASTags from Maval are allowed to pass without incurring toll charges. In contrast, drivers of all other heavy vehicles, including tempos and trucks, are being fined.

At the Urse toll plaza, only local drivers of cars and jeeps from Urse and Talegaon are allowed to pass without paying tolls after thorough verification. However, local drivers of tempos and trucks are still required to pay tolls.

Farmers from Maval have previously provided land to the government for roads and various projects at minimal compensation, without their fundamental concerns being addressed. The government has neglected these issues, leaving the farmers feeling exploited through toll collections.

The committee insists that the government must immediately grant official toll exemptions for all vehicles at the Urse, Somatane, and Varsoli toll plazas. If this is not feasible, they demand the closure of unauthorized toll plazas that have exceeded their validity without any extension.

This ultimatum was announced by the Farmer Action Committee, led by President Subhash Dhamankar, alongside committee members Gulabrao Ghare, Vilas Dalvi, Sunil Gujar, Machhindra Kedari, Kacharu Parkhi, and Santosh Kedari.

The state government has acquired land from farmers for various local developments, including the Pawan Maval area, Kasarsai, Adhale, Malwandi, Pusane Dam, cricket stadium, Pawan water pipeline, expressway, ring road, and MIDC.