Amse served 3 months notice to close down one Toll Plaza or face legal action

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 4, 2022

Demanding the closure of either Pasyih Ialong Toll Plaza or Lumshnong Toll Plaza within three months, East Jaintia Hills District Court Advocate Kynjaimon Amse on Monday warned of legal actions if there is continuance of toll collection in both the toll gates after 3 months.

In a letter to the Project Director, Shillong PIU, NHAI Shillong, Amse said, ” You are certainly aware of the statement made by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highway in the Lok Sabha on the 22nd March 2022 wherein the Minister has stated that there shall be no toll gate within 60 KMs distance along the national highway between one toll gate and another.”

He also said that the Govt. of India through the Minister has also stated that if there are more than one toll gate within a stretch of 60 KMs, the excess shall be shut down within the next 3 months.

Needless to say that these statements made by the Minister are the position of the Government of India and the same having been made before the Parliament should be honored in letter and spirit, Amse asserted.

The letter pointed out that along the National Highway-6 there are presently two toll gates in Jaintia Hills i.e one at Lumshnong village and the other one at Pasyih (Ialong) village andthe distance between this two toll gates is just about 53 Kms from each other.

As a matter of fact there are two gates in Jaintia Hills within a gap of 60 KMs which falls under the category that has stated by the Minister, he added.

According to Amse, the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules 2008, the distance between two adjacent toll booths should be a minimum of 60 KMs which in other words means there should not be more than one toll both within 60 KMs along the National Highway.

He also said collections of toll both after the expiry of the three months’ period in both of these toll gates will be highly illegal and against the law hence NHAI should act on this matter.