A SOURCE OF OPEN LOOT

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is constructing Highways and Expressways on the principle of BOT (Build- Operate – Transfer) for which toll fee is levied from the users for a period of 20-30 years from the time of allotment of the work.  The rate of collection of toll is so high and for such a long period that it has no relation or relevance with the expenditure incurred. Delhi Gurgaon, Express Highway along with its flyovers has been completed at a cost of Rs.702 crores. The private agency has been given rights to collect toll at  three points namely  14 Km (IGI Airport )  24 km (Gurgaon Delhi border) and 42 km (Kherkidaula) plazas for a period of 20 years from January 2003 ( collection to commence on completion of construction) upto January 2022 . The entire amount is to be retained by the builder upto the traffic volume of 1.30 lac vehicles for each plaza beyond which the revenue has to be shared with the NHAI.

A Scam in Making

The prescribed rates of toll at present w.e.f.on this stretch are as follows:

   (The rates are to be reviewed annually w.e.f 1st April every year based on the wholesale price index)

  The daily collections as per the media reports averaged between Rs 70 lacs and 1 crore a day or upto Rs 365 crores a year at the commencement of collections in Jan/Feb 2008 .As per the figures supplied by the NHAI based on the statement of the tolling  firm, the collections at km 14 and km 42 were over 10 crores a month initially or 130 crores a year, but the Authority did not give out the statistics for the third barrier at km 24.However, the inference is clear from the number of collection points put up at each barrier that puts the traffic volume at km 24 easily more than the aggregate at the other two places. So safely the total collections can be presumed to be 22 crores pm for February-March 2008 and with 13% increase in rates on 1st April 2008, the figures rise to Rs 293.8 crores PA.In further analysis for the sake of simplicity , I propose to ignore the collections that the firm made in two months of February and March 2008.

Last update : 09-04-2009 01:05

Keywords : National Highways Toll Plazas, Baldev Lall,

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