GUWAHATI: Following a massive road blockade put up by several organizations against the National Highway Authority of India's (NHAI) newly reopened toll plaza at Raha near Nagaon in central Assam, road connectivity from Guwahati to upper Assam and beyond has come to a stalemate since Sunday morning.Defying restrictions imposed by the Nagaon district administration, hundreds of activists of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) and several other organizations staged a protest at the toll plaza. The organizations have been vehemently opposing the toll plaza, calling it 'an illegal syndicate'. Shouting slogans, locals and the activists of the organizations blocked NH 37.Large contingents of police and security forces were deployed in the area and traffic was brought to a grinding halt. Earlier, the administration clamped Section 144 CrPC to neutralize the situation, but many defied the restrictions.Vehicles plying on the all-important national highway connecting the state capital with northern and central Assam districts had to take detours. Traffic congestion continued increasing through the day. As the number of protesters kept increasing, NHAI officials announced temporary closure of toll collection at the plaza at around 4 pm.The protesting organizations were intimated that a decision will be taken by the highway authority within 24 hours to break the impasse. "Toll collection has been stopped for next 24 hours from 4 pm on Sunday. It will take at least 24 hours for us to take a decision on the toll gate's operation in future. Till the next 24 hours, there will be no toll collection at the Raha toll plaza under NHAI," said a spokesperson of the NHAI.Though the protest was withdrawn following the assurance made by NHAI in presence of district administration officials, KMSS adviser Akhil Gogoi said the toll gate will not be allowed to be opened even after 24 hours. The KMSS opposes opening the toll gate before completion of four-laning of the national highway. KMSS also alleged that the highway is of poor quality and becomes dangerous in several areas during the rainy season.Despite consistent opposition by various organizations against collection of road tax at Raha, the toll plaza was reopened from July 12.Demanding intervention of chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to permanently close down the toll gate, Gogoi alleged that the toll gate has been 'illegally' opened inside the town committee area by violating the norms.

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