Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway to be priciest

Mumbai: Samriddhi Expressway, an ambitious project of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis connecting Mumbai to Nagpur, is likely to be Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation’s (MSRDC) highest tolled project in the state.

This is ironical as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power with a promise of a toll-free Maharashtra. The proposed toll is Rs 2.5 per km for small vehicle and Rs 6.5 per km for heavy vehicle. The toll for the entire journey for small vehicle will be Rs 1,775 and for heavy vehicle Rs 4,615, which would higher than being charged elsewhere in the state.

However, reacting to the story, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “the financial model has not been worked out yet because it depends on the cost of borrowing.”

Samriddhi Expressway (Prosperity Highway) is being planned from Mumbai to Nagpur via Shahapur of Palghar district. It is a 710-km highway, with an expected project cost of Rs 46,000 crore.

MSRDC director Radheshyam Mopalwar had recently indicated that the project cost would be recovered through toll. Mr Mopalwar had said small vehicles would be charged Rs 2.5 per km while heavy vehicles would be charged Rs 6.5 per km. The toll for the entire journey for small vehicle will be Rs 1,775 and for heavy vehicle Rs 4,615, which would higher than what is being charged elsewhere in the state.

The approximate toll paid for Mumbai to Kolhapur comes to Rs 530 for 410 kilometres — about Rs 1.30 per kilometre. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway charges Rs 230 for around 95 kilometres —about Rs 2.40 per kilometre.

Opposition parties have slammed the idea of such a huge toll. “We are with farmers who are opposing the Samriddhi Expressway. But at the same time, such a huge toll proposal also exposes the double talk of BJP.  It is one more incident where BJP’s assurance and ground reality do not match,” said Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil.  

FARMERS UP IN ARMS    
Project-affected farmers from eight districts are opposing the Samriddhi Mahamarg. They have formed an action committee opposing the project, comprising farmer representatives from all districts. Tukaram Bhasme of the action committee said, “This won’t be Prosperity Mahamarg but Vinash Marg for us.” Farmers have held protests against the project in Shahapur, Aurangabad, Amravati, Nagpur and Mumbai so far. They are planning to intensify their protest in the coming days.

TOLLS AT MUMBAI ENTRY POINTS
There are five toll points at entries to Mumbai — Dahisar, Airoli, Vashi, LBS Road and Mulund. The state government had appointed a committee under retired additional chief secretary Anand Kulkarni to file a report on whether these toll points could be closed. According to the report, the state government will have to pay Rs 2,021 crore to buy out the contracts of the companies concerned and close the toll points. Another option was to exempt small vehicles, which would cost Rs 250 crore per year to the exchequer, and the state has to compensate the contractor concerned till 2031. This report is still under the government’s consideration.

MUMBAI-PUNE EWAY TOLL CHALLENGED
A group of activists have filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay high court seeking to stop toll collection by the contractor on the Mumbai-Pune Eway. The petitioners said according to the contract between MSRDC and IRB Infrastructure Limited, the anticipated toll during 2007-2008 and 2016-2017 was supposed to be around Rs 1,800 crore, but the latter pocketed around Rs 2,700 crore by December 2016. While hearing the case on April 25, the high court gave liberty to the petitioners to implead the Union of India and asked the respondents, i.e. the contractor and the state government, to file their replies within six weeks. The matter has been placed for hearing on June 25.

TOLLS, A SENSITIVE ISSUE
Toll has been sensitive issues in state politics for a few years now. The ruling BJP had assured a toll-free Maharashtra in its election manifesto. After being criticised for delay in shutting down tolls, BJP government ordered scrapping of 12 tolls. The same decision also gave exemption to small cars on 53 tolls. However, 41 tollbooths still operate in the state, of which 14 belong to MSRDC and 27 to PWD.