NHAI generates Rs.400 Cr from toll plazas on pothole-ridden, incomplete highway in J&K
Pothole-ridden roads and unfinished stretches along Lakhanpur-Jammu-Srinagar national highway notwithstanding, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has been earning a whopping around Rs.400 crore annually by way of toll being collected from six toll plazas established in Jammu and Kashmir.
The matter of concern for a highway user is that there has been over 100 percent increase in revenue generation for the NHAI on the toll plazas in Jammu and Kashmir during the last six years. It has been done by way of levying heavy toll tax on highway users despite the fact that the condition of roads has not been improved satisfactorily.
According to the official documents, the NHAI has set up six toll plazas on the highway between Lakhanpur and Srinagar.
The six toll collection centers established in Jammu and Kashmir include Mada & Nashri toll plaza on Chenani Nashri section, Thandikhui toll plaza on Pathankot-Jammu section, Kachkoot toll plaza on Srinagar-Banihal section, Bann toll plaza on Jammu Bypass-Udhampur section, Lakhanpur toll plaza on Jammu-Pathankot section and Lamber & Ujroo toll plaza on Quazigund-Banihal section.
“The highest revenue is being generated from Lakhanpur toll plaza from where the NHAI gets Rs.84.68 crore annually, followed by Bann toll plaza which adds Rs.78.55 crore to the NHAI coffers on an annual basis,” the document revealed.
Toll collection on Bann fee plaza was started in March 2015, while Lakhanpur toll plaza started its operation on July 21, 2020. Between these two toll plazas, another toll plaza at Thandikhui earns Rs 55.22 crore for NHAI annually.
Ironically, Lakhanpur-Thandikhui section is in bad shape and full of potholes with the NHAI showing least concern to re-lay the road. Resultantly, highway users have a bumpy ride on the stretch.
On an annual basis, the Lamber and Ujroo fee plaza has been generating Rs.63.22 crore for the NHAI while Rs.63 crore is being collected from Kachkoot toll plaza. The Mada & Nashri toll plaza adds Rs.51.31 crore to the annual coffers of the NHAI.
If one goes through the documents thoroughly, it comes to fore that there had been almost 105 percent increase in revenue realization for NHAI on Bann toll plaza as the revenue generation for NHAI was just Rs 38.31 crore on this fee plaza during the year 2016-17 which has now gone up to Rs 78.55 crore.
Pertinently, the NHAI has also planned to establish two more toll plazas on the upcoming Jammu Ring road starting from Raya Morh in Samba district up to Jagti in Jammu district and Srinagar Ring road.
