Netas get toll-free passage on highways

Nearly 10 pc revenue collection will be hit, fear firms

The latest notification issued by the Road Transport and Highways Ministry says that all MPs, MLAs and MLCs are now exempted from paying toll charges in all toll plazas on national highways built by both government and private funding.  At least 32 categories of vehicles are allowed free passage on national highways including Central and State Government vehicles, ambulance and funeral vehicles, executive magistrates on official duty, Central and State armed forces including para military forces and police and the gallantry award winners, according to an official release.

In the new toll policy announced early last year, vehicles of MPs and MLAs were deleted from the exempted category. Upset with this, netas took up cudgels against the Ministry and raised the issue in Parliament.  Succumbing to the pressure from the political spectrum, the Centre decided to include netas from the exempted category, a senior official from the Ministry told Deccan Herald here.

Even the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGOM) headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had earlier deliberated on this issue and recommended the government to give exemption to netas from collecting toll charges.

However, toll managing companies may not be happy over the decision as it is estimated that nearly 10 per cent of revenue collection through toll would be hit by the latest measure, said the official.