Even though the Government of Odisha has collected much more tax than the project cost, it still continues to collect tax at the tollgates.
Commuters are also detained on these major routes. On an important State highway like Pipili-Konark, the Government has already collected nearly Rs 3 crore where as the project cost was only Rs 34 lakh.
Similarly, more than Rs 6 crore has been collected at Fakirpada on Cuttack-Paradip road where as the project cost was around Rs 2.8 lakh.
The Works Department is having tollgates at various places in Odisha on roads and bridges. It took almost one year to get information about the tollgates. Since the Works Department was hesitant to share information, it was a real struggle to get the information.
Even the department goes on collecting tax without knowing when they should close the gate. The brightest examples are the toll gate at Mundali in Cuttack and Pithaguda in Koraput.
Meanwhile, lok Samukhya convenor Ashok Nanda demanded that toll gate at Gop and at Fakirpada should be immediately closed and a proper inquiry should be made about all other gates.