Contrary to Gadkari’s statement, 3 toll plazas operational within 60-km in J&K

NHAI candidly admits in RTI replies, cites rules to defend functioning of these toll plazas

Jammu: In contrast to the Union Minister for Roads, Transport and Highways (RTH) Nitin Gadkari’s much-talked about statement in the Parliament on removing fee plaza within 60 kms from preceding and succeeding toll plaza, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has candidly admitted that three such toll plazas are permitted and operational in Jammu and Kashmir.
The NHAI, however, claimed that fee plazas functioning within a 60-km range are permitted “in accordance with sub rule 2 of rule 8 of NH Fee Rule 2008 and Fee Rules 1997 as applicable”.
“The three toll plazas having a distance of less than 60-km range between Start Plaza and Destination Plaza include Kachkoot-Urjoo (39-km), Bann-Thandikhui (42-km) and Lamber-Kachkoot (40-km),” the NHAI said in an RTI reply to the noted Jammu-based activist Raman Sharma.
“Honble Minister, RTH in Parliament (March 2022) has announced to remove the fee plaza within 60 kms from preceding and succeeding fee plaza. The extant guidelines for location of fee plaza may be referred under Rule 8 of NH Fee Rules 2008 which is available on toll based website of NHAI i.e. tis.nhai.gov.in. The distance criteria for establishment of a fee plaza have come into existence after NH Fee Rules 2008 and there were no such criteria in earlier NH Fee Rules 1997,” the NHAI said in another reply.
"I will ensure that there will be only one toll plaza within 60 km and if there’s a second toll plaza, then it will be shut in the next three months,” Gadkari had said while replying to a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the demands for grants pertaining to his ministry in March this year.
The NHAI, however, justified the operationalization of Bann Toll Plaza and Thandikhui toll plaza within a distance of 42-km, saying two plazas were located on two different sections.
“Ban Toll Plaza is located km. 22+600 on Jammu-Udhampur section whereas Thandikhui toll plaza is located at km 88+300 on Lakhanpur-Jammu section. The distance between Thandikhui toll plaza and Lakhanpur toll plaza is 71.90km,” the NHAI had said in a separate reply.
It said that the Government of India had earlier announced the intent to implement satellite-based tolling in India to ensure seamless movement of vehicles along tolled roads in India in line with the vision of toll booth free.
Pertinently, the NHAI has set up six toll plazas on a potholed and unfinished highway between Lakhanpur and Srinagar. It has been generating a whopping around Rs 400 crore annually by way of toll being collected from these toll plazas.
The matter of concern for a highway user is that there has been over 100 percent increase in revenue generation for the NHAI on the toll plazas in Jammu and Kashmir during the last six years. It has been done by way of levying heavy toll tax on highway users despite the fact that the condition of roads has not been improved satisfactorily.
The NHAI has also planned to establish two more toll plazas on the upcoming Jammu Ring road starting from Raya Morh in Samba district up to Jagti in Jammu district and Srinagar Ring road.
Updated On 12/4/2022 12:21:09 PM