After resentment of the local people over high toll rates at different places across the State, Haryana Government on Thursday decided to subsidise the toll and bear the loss.The State Government would now compensate National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) after the toll rates are brought down for the people travelling on the highways in the State.
The decision was taken by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here on Thursday after chairing a joint meeting of Government officials and officials from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on the issue. Hooda asked the officers of NHAI to calculate their financial loss and submit a detailed report to the State Government by next week. Besides, he also sought a ‘policy’ on rates of toll plaza to find out permanent solution of it.
Hooda himself admitted that “at present, the rates at toll plaza in the State are high and it needs to be reduced to make it affordable for the people to pay.”He said that besides relaxing the rates for all the people passing through it, further relaxation in the toll rates would also be given to those residing in the nearby areas of toll plaza.
Satish Chandra, member finance, NHAI said that when the State Government was ready to reduce the toll rates in the State at its own cost, then NHAI has no objection over it.Chief Secretary, SC Choudhary, Principal Secretaries to Chief Minister, SS Dhillon and Dr KK Khandelwal, Deputy Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, RS Doon and other senior officers were also present in the meeting.