Despite collecting huge toll, NHAI has not re-laid roads for nine years

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had collected round ₹822 crore until August 2020 by means of toll on Virudhunagar -Kanniyakumari part since May 2011 but it surely has not re-laid the street for nine lengthy years.

The stretch of this street is a part of the four-way freeway on Kanniyakumari-Chennai / Bengaluru part.

After Madurai Bench of Madras High Court intervened and imposed a minimize on toll assortment at Kappalur toll gate following criticism of poor high quality of street, the NHAI had relaid the freeway for 50 km between Madurai and Virudhunagar in 2018.

Still, NHAI has not given a transparent reply as to when the 180 km stretch of freeway between Virudhunagar and Kanniyakumari can be re-laid.

In a reply to a Right to Information Act utility sought by social activist, R. Pandiaraja of Tenkasi, on numerous particulars concerning the Madurai-Kanniyakumari freeway, the NHAI has mentioned that the upkeep of the freeway was being carried out by M/s. CDR and Co.

“Overlaying of the road has been included under the scope of toll-operate-transfer (TOT) model is all the NHAI reply says to a question on plan to re-lay the road,” mentioned Mr. Pandiaraja.

Similarly, the NHAI official has not disclosed the main points of how ceaselessly these 4 lane roads have to re-laid. Toll payment on all of the 4 plazas positioned at Kappalur (Madurai), Etturvattam (Sattur), Salaipudur (Kayathar) and Nanguneri (Tirunelveli) has been revised yearly on April 1 from the date of graduation of the toll assortment.

“Though the NHAI Project Director, V. Saravanan, has said that there was no immediate plan to stop collection of the toll fee on these stretches of the road, he has not revealed the plan to re-lay the road that is in poor condition,” Mr. Pandiaraja mentioned.

The finish date for toll assortment has not been determined because it trusted capital price, expenditure incurred throughout operation and upkeep and others, the RTI reply has mentioned.

However, as a part of upkeep, no street relaying has been taken up until date which has led to lot of damage and tear within the final nine years.

“The road has lot of potholes leading to frequent accidents,” Mr. Pandiaraja mentioned.

Stating that although automobile customers have been paying toll over and above the street tax paid whereas shopping for the automobiles, the NHAI was neglecting upkeep of this necessary street that connects Chennai and Bengaluru with southern districts, he mentioned.