Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: In an unprecedented action to strengthen user fee collection, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on March 20 debarred 14 user fee collection agencies for irregular activities at toll plazas. ‘Performance Securities’ worth over Rs. 100 crore of the defaulting agencies have been forfeited and are being encashed for breach of the contract.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, raids at the Atraila Shiv Ghulam Toll Plaza in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh was conducted by UP Special Task Force. Based on the FIR, NHAI took prompt action and served ‘Show Cause Notice’ to the defaulting agencies.
The replies submitted by the fee collection agencies were not found to be satisfactory.
The agencies have been debarred for a period of two years for violation of the provisions of the contract agreement.
In order to ensure seamless operation of the toll plazas that were managed by debarred agencies, NHAI will intimate the defaulting agencies to hand over the Toll plazas to a new agency that will be appointed by the authority.
NHAI said it is committed to follow the highest standards in highway operations and any lapses will be dealt with zero tolerance. Action will be taken against the defaulters, and they will be debarred from NHAI projects with severe penalties.
According to the latest government data, the average annual construction of National Highways has jumped by a massive 130 per cent during 2014-2024, as compared to the previous 10 years from 2004-2014, and has taken the length of those coming up in the last 10 years to 1,01,900 kms.
Presently 1,366 projects having a total length of about 32,366 km are under construction in the entire country, including in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and all northeastern states, according to the government.
