New Delhi: A petition was today filed in the
Supreme Court alleging operation of an unholy nexus between
National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and private
companies engaged in toll collection across the country, which
is causing a huge loss to public exchequer.
The PIL filed by an NGO, People’s Voice, sought a
direction for setting up of an independent regulatory body to
regulate and govern the collection in a transparent and
accountable manner.
The NGO alleged decisions regarding amount of toll tax
and period of time for toll tax collection are unjustified and
un-rational and lack transparency and accountability.
The petitioner gave an example of the study conducted
about the toll collection on Delhi-Gurgaon NH-8 and claimed
there was a loss of about Rs 146 crore to government.
The NGO headed by former senior civil servant, S P
Gupta, gave details about the nexus between the NHAI and
private concessionaires manning the toll plazas on the
country’s major highways.
The petitioner claims the findings of the study by
People’s Voice have been further confirmed and substantiated
by the findings of the Parliamentary Committee on Public
Undertakings 2009-2010.
It alleges that although Delhi-Gurgaon NH8 was
expected to be a very high density corridor, the toll rates
were fixed on the basis of worst case scenario.
The PIL alleges the private concessionaire Jaypee DSC
Venture Ltd, which constructed Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on
Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis investing an amount of
Rs. 555, crore has already collected Rs 312 crore by March,
2010, while it would continue to charge toll till 2023.
It proves the involvement of all parties - the private
concessionaire, NHAI and the Transport and Highway Ministry in
the scam, said president of the NGO, S P Gupta.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, April 06, 2011, 19:21