Total toll exemptions on 53 toll booths would cost the exchequer Rs 8798.79 crores by year 2039

The election promise of toll free Maharashtra is resulting in a compensation of Rs 8798.79 crores for the road builders by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and the PWD as per the information provided by the PWD dept to RTI activist Anil Galgali. This compensation would be paid yearly upto year 2039 which works out to an load of Rs 353 crores per year on the exchequer. RTI activist Anil Galgali had sought information from the PWD Minister Shri Chandrakant Patil about the details of the toll booths closed and also about the toll booths on which exemptions have been provided. In a reply, Shri Shailendra Borse informed Galgali that, PWD's 19 projects having a total of 27 toll Naka, Cars, Jeep, State Transport busses and school buses have been exempted from paying toll, due to which the dept is paying Rs 179.69 crores to the road contractor for the year 2015-16, and this amount has to be paid yearly for next 25 years uptill financial year 2039-40, which will totally cost Rs 7377.44 crores. Similarly on the 12 projects under MSRDC, 26 toll nakas are functional on which the cars, Jeep, State transport buses and school buses have been given exemptions, which is going to cost the exchequer Rs 284.27 crores for the financial year 2015-16 and has to be paid for next 5 years that is upto 2019-20 totalling Rs 1421.35 crores. Anil Galgali has expressed that, instead of taking strong action on the people who are looting the public and government in the name of toll tax, the government is being very lenient towards them. He said instead all the company's involved in the business of toll collection should have been audited. He further stated that, the willingness shown in paying compensation for toll exemptions seems to be a case where the treatment seems to be costlier and dangerous than the illness itself. The Under Secretary of PWD dept, Shri Shailendra Borse informed Anil Galgali that, out of a total of 38 toll nakas 11 toll nakas were closed down, ensuing a payment of Rs 226.51 crores towards compensation. Similarly out of 53 toll nakas under MSRDC, 1 toll Naka was closed leading to a compensation of Rs 168 crores. Totalling Rs 394.51 crores towards closure of 12 toll nakas.