Former Haryana CM Hooda Accuses Government of Exploiting Citizens Through Toll Taxes
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Chandigarh, Dec 31 (NationPress) Bhupinder Hooda, the former Chief Minister of Haryana, stated on Tuesday that the residents of the state are being exploited under the pretense of toll taxes. He emphasized that in numerous instances, the toll tax continues to be charged even after the companies have recouped their investments multiple times over.
Using the Ghaggar toll plaza as a case in point, Hooda noted that the expenditure for road construction was Rs 2,747 crore, while the revenue collected has reached Rs 4,489 crore, yet the toll remains operational.
He highlighted that this method of toll collection is siphoning off thousands of crores from the public.
According to Hooda, the latest data obtained through RTI indicates that, in collusion with the BJP government, companies are generating profits that exceed their initial costs in the guise of toll taxes. “The common people are burdened with taxes and rising costs of living, while the government turns a blind eye,” Hooda remarked in his statement.
Currently, he noted, there are 57 toll plazas operational for revenue collection. “The duration for toll collection at Ghaggar and Gharaunda has lapsed. The companies have profited far beyond their costs. Despite this, the collection of crores from the public persists. Numerous toll plazas in the state are in similar situations, where the collection duration has either expired or the costs and profits have already been recovered.”
“According to regulations, these tolls should be discontinued, but due to government complicity, the public continues to be exploited,” he added.
Furthermore, Hooda stated, “The regulations also mandate a minimum distance of 60 km between two tolls, yet in Haryana, there are several instances between GT Road, Sohna, and Gurgaon with illegal toll collections occurring.”
He expressed surprise that the government has not responded to RTI inquiries regarding the duration of these illicit collections. He urged for an immediate halt to this rampant exploitation of the public.
