In a major revelation that highlights the loot in the garb of toll collection, the concessionaire of Delhi-Gurgaon-Jaipur Expressway has already made a profit of Rs 1,000 crore even as sections of the 225-kilometre stretch remain incomplete.
Since April 2009, the concessionaire has collected Rs 2,503 crore against the Total Project Cost (TPS) of Rs 1,650 crore. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) figures suggest that 28 per cent of the work remains incomplete till March 2013 on the Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Jaipur Expressway.
The irregularities have been highlighted by a general manager rank officer of the National Highways Authority of India in a written complaint to the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary, CVC & CAG, Haryana lokayukta and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. In his anonymous complaint on NHAI’s official stationery, the GM has blamed the decision making authorities and pointed out a major corruption in land acquisition particularly on NH-8 in Rewari district of the BOT project.
Six laning of Gurgaon-Kotputli-Jaipur section of NH-8 started in April 2009 with a deadline of October 2011. The concessionaire — M/s Pink City Expressway Pvt ltd, which is a joint venture of M/s Emirates Trading Agency llC of Dubai and M/s KMC of India — was awarded the projects on the Toll Sharing basis. Right from the first day, the concessionaire started collecting toll before the commencement of the project.
The official has pointed that the concessionaires collected Rs 1.25 crore per day in 2009, Rs 1.54 crore a day in 2010, Rs 1.85 crore a day in 2011 and Rs 2.22 crore/day in 2012. The Central Government notification clearly mentions not to impose toll on highways until it is declared completed. However, as of now, the concessionaire in connivance with the authorities has been collecting tolls on 17 major "under construction" six-laning projects -- including Delhi-Agra, Varanasi-Aurangabad and the Pune-Satara NH.
"As per the rules, no penalty has been imposed on the concessionaire and the supervision consultant because of top authorities in NHAI and also the Government. The then CGM allegedly red-taped the Rewari land acquisition process in connivance with a top Road and Highways Ministry official. While the Centre wanted to execute the project at the earliest, the official returned the NHAI file for land acquisition on many occasion on some trivial excuses," the official alleged. The project was awarded by the then Chief General Manager, who later attained the post of a member in the NHAI.
NHAI sources said that the said Rewari land acquisition file was cleared in February 2013 but almost delaying the Expressway projects and on the other hand giving an opportunity to the concessionaire to reap the benefits to the tune of crores of rupees without providing a fair service.
Sources said BOT (Toll/Annuity) projects through PPP mode are made to give undue benefit to the concessionaire who are having direct and indirect partnership with influential people, including the political leaders. "In the present circumstances BOT (Toll/Annuity) projects are wrongly implemented under the cover of rapid infrastructure development. Shockingly, concessionaire has exceeded all their limitations and they are in position to choose the NHAI officials for their projects and if any NHAI official tries to implement strict provisions of Concession Agreement, they are either being threatened or removed from the key positions," sources said.
The MoRTH has also received complaints regarding collection of hundred per cent toll tax by private road developers on highways still under construction in various States such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka etc.