Srinagar, Feb 26: The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has directed the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to reduce toll charges across the Union Territory, citing unjustifiably high fees at several toll plazas. The court has given the ministry a deadline of four months to revise and lower the toll rates, ensuring that the public is not overburdened.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice M.A. Chowdhary ruled that toll collection at Lakhanpur and Bann plazas must be slashed to 20% of pre-January 26, 2024, rates until the Lakhanpur-Udhampur section of the national highway is fully operational. The directive came in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking exemption from toll charges along the Jammu-Pathankot Highway until the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway is completed.
The court strongly criticized the unchecked establishment of toll plazas in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, stating that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and private contractors were generating excessive revenue at the expense of the common people. It emphasized that toll collection should be a mechanism for road maintenance and development rather than a profit-driven practice.
The court mandated that no toll plaza should be located within 60 kilometers of another on NH-44, and any existing plazas violating this guideline must be removed within two months.
Additionally, full toll charges at Lakhanpur and Bann can only be reinstated once an independent survey confirms the completion of the highway.
The court also raised concerns over security at toll plazas, instructing that all personnel employed by toll operators and contractors must undergo police verification to prevent individuals with criminal backgrounds from being engaged in such positions. Furthermore, it directed the NHAI, J&K government, and the Union Ministry to withdraw the redistribution of influence length between Lakhanpur and Bann within a week. [KNT]
