The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Noida’s DND Flyway to remain toll-free for the next one month till the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) conducts a full audit of the accounts managed by the toll operator company.
The Court directed the CAG to examine whether the company, Noida Toll Bridge Company ltd, had recovered its entire project cost by way of toll collected on the 9.5-kilometer Delhi-Noida stretch since 2001. If CAG rules that the cost has been recovered, the DND Flyway will remain toll-free for all times to come.
The order came as a huge relief for thousands of commuters who have to travel daily from south Delhi to East Delhi and Noida and vice versa. The case came to apex court by way of an appeal filed by the DND Flyway operator challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court declaring the Delhi-Noida Expressway to be toll-free.
Dealing with the company’s appeal, the Bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur, Justices DY Chandrachud and l Nageshwar Rao, was not inclined to stay the HC order. Instead, the Court wanted to ascertain the truth behind the company’s claim that it was still operating in losses. On one hand, the petitioner — Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Association claimed that the project cost was Rs 408.17 crore and the toll income from 2001 till 2014 was Rs 803.5 crores, showing a net profit of Rs 165.08 crores.
The company disputed this position and submitted its audited account reports to suggest that the actual project cost was Rs 2339.69 crore as on March 31, 2012. Within four years, the running cost had increased to Rs 5000 crore as on March 31, 2016. This amount had yet to be realized, the company argued.
The Bench directed the company to place all its audited account reports for purpose of CAG probe and sought a report to be submitted in Court within four weeks.