NEW DELHI, Mar 13: The ministry of road transport and highways, while ruling out any audit of fee plazas with respect to the amount invested and the amount realised to reduce or close the toll booths, informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that toll on National Highways is collected in perpetuity.
P Wilson, DMK Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, had asked Union minister Nitin Gadkari whether any audit has been undertaken to analyse the amount invested and realised in the toll plazas across the country. He also asked if any steps have been taken to reduce toll fee or close the plaza where the amount has been realised by the concessionaire and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
“The user fee at fee plazas on National Highways is collected in perpetuity. Thus, the need to audit fee plazas with respect to the amount invested and the amount realised, to reduce or close the fee plaza, does not arise,” said Mr Gadkari.
The ministry explained that user fee, earlier called toll, is collected for the use of any section of National Highway, in accordance with the provisions of the NH Fee Rules.
“As per the provision of National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, the fee as notified as per Concession Agreement shall be leviable till the end of the concession period and after the concession period is over, the fee shall be collected by the government or the executing authority as per the fee specified…,” Gadkari said, adding the user fee is revised annually.
In respect of a public-funded project, Gadkari said the fee leviable will continue to be collected in perpetuity for such sections of the National Highway, bridge, tunnel or bypass, as the case may be, to be revised annually in accordance with these rules.
“In the case of BOT Projects, after the end of the concession period, the toll plaza is handed over to the government and thereafter the user fee is collected by the government through its implementing agencies,” he said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
