An RTI filed by activist Anil Galgali has revealed the state has paid a total of Rs 798.44 crore to contractors as compensation when 12 toll plazas were shut down and charges on light vehicles were wa
An RTI filed by activist Anil Galgali has revealed the state has paid a total of Rs 798.44 crore to contractors as compensation when 12 toll plazas were shut down and charges on light vehicles were waived off at 53 check points, owing to the growing public demand to do so.
The RTI states it was filed at the office of Chandrakanth Patil, public works department (PWD) minister, and the reply came from under secretary and public information officer Shailendra Borse who said that of the 38 plazas managed by his department, 11 were closed and Rs 226.51 crore was paid to the contractor as full and final payment.
Of the 53 plazas maintained by the MSRDC, only one was closed for which the full and final payment return amounted to Rs 168 crores, the RTI reply said.
Out of the 19 projects of the PWD in its 27 toll plazas, the cars, jeeps, state transport buses (ST) and school buses were given exemption. This amounted to return of Rs 179.69 crore as compensation for the year 2015-16. Similarly for MSRDC’s 12 projects, which included 26 toll plazas, owing to the exemption given to the cars, jeep, ST and school buses, the compensation for year 2015-16 amounted to Rs 224.24 crores.
With regard to the those toll plazas that come under the jurisdiction of the MSRDC, only one has been closed near Chandrapur, as a result of which a rail over bridge (ROB) was shut down as well. Here the contractor was paid Rs 168 crore in full and final payment.
The 11 PWD toll plazas were Alibaugh-Pen-Khopoli, Vadgaon-Chakan-Shikrapuur near Maval and two toll plazas (Pune), Mohole-Kurul-Kamati-Mandrup, one at Tembhurni-Kurduwadi-Barshi-Latur road in Solapur, Ahmednagar-Karmala Tembhurni Road, Nashik Vani Road, Yaaval-Bhusawal road at Bhusawal and Khamgaon Ring Road.
