In Thane area, the order on rebate on toll given to local residents by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is said to have overturned. The order had granted toll concessions to people living near toll booths. The MSRDC officials were under pressure from toll contractors, it is said. The reversal, which happened within a few weeks after an executive engineer issued the order on rebate, is a blatant violation of a government resolution (GR) issued in 2009 granting the toll concessions. The concessional monthly passes were to be granted to citizens living within a 5-km radius of a toll post.
MSRDC executive engineer S Nikose had sent a letter to all toll contractors on March 13 that concessional passes should be issued to all local residents as directed by a GR dated July 30, 2009. He warned of ‘stern action’ against contractors failing to issue them. The toll contractor, MEP Nagzari Toll Roads, then wrote to the MSRDC top brass on March 18 and urged them to revoke Nikose’s letter and clarify the issue.
The contractor’s contention was that the GR said roads built under the Integrated Road Development Project have an independent toll pricing policy. MSRDC’s joint managing director S Ramchandani responded to the contractor’s demand on March 28, spiking Nikose’s order and contending that ‘no action (on the concessional passes) needs to be taken by any of the contractors till further orders’.
Nikose followed Ramchandani’s letter and ordered the withdrawal of the toll concession to the local residents.
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