The Union Government has earned an amount of Rs 1.44 lakh crore from different toll plazas set up on the various national highways across the country.
Replying to a question from Congress member Charanjit Singh Channi in Lok Sabha, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari said that an amount of 1.44 lakh crore rupees have been collected as the user fee at fee plazas presently operational under Public Private Partnerships (PPP) model on National Highways since December 2000.
Regarding the questions of whether there is any fixed timeline for the implementation and abolition of toll tax and details of tolls that are still operational despite being abolished, the Minister said that the user fee at fee plazas on National Highways are collected as per NH Fee Rules, 2008 and its amendment thereof.
Giving reasons for imposing additional toll tax, if the Road Tax is already collected during the purchase of the vehicle, the minister said that all user fee plazas on National Highways are established as
per the provision of National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, and the respective Concession Agreement.
“The Government by notification in the official Gazette, levies user fee on National Highways for the use of any section of National Highway, in accordance with the provisions of NH Fee Rules”, the Minister said.
Rs 9.94 lakh crore spent on construction of highways in last five years
Replying to another question, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways informed that the Ministry has incurred an expenditure of Rs. 9.94 Lakh crore on the development of National Highways (NHs) during the last five years.
“Expenditure of about Rs. 27,000 Crore has been incurred by the Ministry on Maintenance and Repair (M&R) of NHs during the last five years”, he said, adding, “Expenditure of Rs. 187 Crore has been incurred on M&R of NHs stretches (NH Nos. 6, 8 and 37) from Guwahati in Assam to Agartala in Tripura during the last five years”.
He further said that out of the total NH length of about 577 km from Guwahati to Agartala, about 236 km length is under the Concession Period / Defect Liability Period (DLP), in which the concerned Concessionaire / Contractor takes up maintenance works. Further, widening/strengthening works have been taken up in about 129 km length.
In the remaining 213 km length, maintenance works have been taken up by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) / State Government to keep the NHs stretches in traffic-worthy condition.
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