Mumbai, July 1 (TH): From Tuesday, people in Maharashtra won’t have to pay toll at 44 of the 166 toll plazas the State government has announced to close from July 1. The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to stay the government’s decision of implementing the toll collection closure at 44 booths. It was hearing a petition filed by the contractors challenging the decision.
The Maharashtra government told the court on Monday that it would soon issue a notification de-notifying the Mumbai Motor Vehicle Tax Act, which is the basis of the implementation of toll.
It also said that it would give Rs. 306 crore compensation to the contractors. The toll booths which will be closed lie in Nashik, Amravati, Nagpur, Jalgaon, Dhule, Aurangabad, Pune, Sangli, Solapur, Satara and Raigad.
The petitioners had alleged that the government decision was arbitrary and discriminatory. They had also claimed that the compensation amount was highly inadequate. The government contested the petitioners’ claim. The government pleader told the court that the State was empowered to take such decisions under Section 21 of the General Clauses Act.
Thus, the court, in its interim order, refused to interfere in the matter. The final order will be passed after two weeks. The State government has been directed not to dismantle the toll booth structure till the final order.
The petitioners had alleged that the State government had not chosen only the low-investment booths, as claimed. They said they had made huge investments for developing the roads, which had resulted in large-scale employment.
The government will now close 34 of the 73 toll plazas belonging to the State Public Works Department and 10 of the 53 belonging to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation.