Tel govt waives toll tax for commuters on Makar Sankranti

The Telangana government has waived toll tax for commuters on national highways on January 13 and 16 in view of the Makar Sankranti festival.

The move is likely to benefit people, mainly from Hyderabad, travelling in cars and other vehicles to their native places in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for the festival beginning on Monday.

Chief Secretary S K Joshi issued instructions to waive the toll gate charges for commuters on national highways to and fro from Hyderabad during the Sankranti holidays, a day before and a day after the festival (January 13 and 16), said an official release issued late Saturday night.

Thousands of people head to their native places in Telangana and AP every year to celebrate the three-day harvest festival of Sankranti.

The highways witness huge rush of travellers during the festival time and it often results in massive traffic jams at the toll plazas.

The state government's decision to waive toll is expected to ease the traffic on the highways.

The first day of the festival is celebrated in the state as 'Bhogi,' where bonfires are lit at dawn outside homes. The second day is 'Makar Sankranti' and the last day is celebrated as 'Kanuma', when livestock are worshipped.