02 December,2010 06:51 AM IST | | Ranjeet Jadhav
PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has ordered the nakas to stop collecting toll as the collection agencies didn't maintain roads
Following the series carried by MiD DAY in September against the illegal toll collection in the state for roads that are in disrepair, the PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal ordered the Public Works Department to permanently close 23 toll nakas in Maharashtra.
Bhujbal also ordered temporary closure of 11 toll nakas as the toll collecting agencies did not maintain the roads properly.
Sorry state
In September, MiD DAY ran a five-part series (Highway Robbery) on how toll agencies have been fleecing citizens to travel on roads that are either under construction, in a state of utter dilapidation, or not there at all.
Taking a serious note of the situation, Bhujbal, while addressing the media in Nagpur,u00a0 said that it is the duty of the toll-collecting agency to maintain the roads that fall under their jurisdiction.
"But still the roads were not maintained properly. So, (other than the 23 permanent shut-downs) we have temporarily ordered to stop collection at 11 toll nakas," he said.
Of the 23 toll nakas that have been closed, 10 belong to PWD and 13 belong to Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, Bhujbal added.
Speaking to MiD DAY, Jayant Mhaiskar, director of IRB Infrastructure Developers, said, "We have not received any orders from the government yet. I believe it is too early to comment on the issue."
Toll Nakas shut
> Balejphata on Achalpur-Chandrapur road
> Durgadi on Kalyan-Bhivandi road
> Dehere on Manmad-Ahemadnagar road
> Rotegaon toll on Shirur-Srirampur road
> Latur-Brashi toll
> Latur-Ambajogai toll
