State seeks time to cease e-way toll

Mumbai: The state government has sought nine weeks from the Bombay high court to decide on whether toll collection on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway can be stopped. The time was sought by the state in response to a query by the HC to inform it whether toll collection can be discontinued as per the suggestions of the Sumit Mullick committee report of March 2018 that had suggested payment of Rs 1,300 crore to the contractor Mhaiskar Infrastruc-ture as compensation if the contract, which is till 2019, is to be terminated prematurely.

The committee recommended for the discontinuation of the toll-collection contract since the contractor had allegedly recovered the assured amount, rs 2,869 crore, by December 2016.

A division bench of justices Abhay Oka and Riyaz Chagla was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by four activists seeking withdrawal of the toll plazas on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway by the state as the contractor was pocketing amounts in excess of the sum assured to him as per the terms of the contract that was signed in 2004 for a period of 15 years. The activists requested that the plazas should be taken over so that the collections came in the coffers of the government. The activists had alternatively sought appointment of a receiver to collect the toll till the issue was decided by the high court.

After the state was directed by the bench to take a decision based on the Maharashtra State Road Development Corpo-ration (MSRDC) comments on the Mullick committee recommendations last week, the state infor-med the court through government pleader Abhi-nandan Vagyani that, MSRDC would give its comments after three weeks.