Decide if E-way toll should go on: Bombay HC to government

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Wednesday asked the Maharashtra governm-ent to decide by Sept-ember 6 if the toll collection on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway sho-uld continue or not.

The division bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Riyaz Chagla issued the direction while hearing public interest litigations (PILs) filed by four social activists. The petitioners have claimed that the contractor firm Mahiskar Infrastructure has recovered the cost of the expressway construction project as per its agreement with the government and continues to collect toll, allegedly making “wro-ngful gains” and hence its right to collect toll should be revoked.

The bench on Wednesday asked the government to look into any violation of terms of agreement in the toll collection process.

The government shall take a decision by September 6 as to whether the toll collection should stop entirely, or whether only light motor vehicles should be exempted, and whether there was any violation of the agreement, the court said.

In March last year, the petitioners had complained to the ACB, seeking action against government officials for failing to revoke the  right to collect toll. When the ACB did not take any action, they moved the high court.

The bench also noted that the ACB, which had initiated an inquiry into the petitioners' allegations in July last year, closed the inquiry.