Connect with us
Monday,06-October-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Govt Formulating Uniform Toll Policy To Ease National Highway Commuters’ Burden: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

Published

on

New Delhi, Feb 3: The road transport ministry is working on a uniform toll policy to benefit national highway users, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday.

Gadkari also asserted that now India’s highway infrastructure matches that of the US. “We are working on a uniform toll policy. It will address the problem faced by the commuters,” he told media in an interview, without elaborating further.

Gadkari was responding to a question on simmering discontent among users of National Highways on account of high toll charges and sub-par road-user experience.

The longest-serving road transport and highways minister said that the ministry has decided to initially implement a barrier-less global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-based toll collection system on national highways.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Gadkari said, has been taking the complaints made by commuters on social media very seriously and is taking strong action against contractors involved.

At present, while private cars constitute about 60 per cent of the traffic on national highways, the share of toll revenue from these vehicles is barely 20-26 per cent.

Toll charges have increased on highways even as more and more stretches have come under the tolling system over the past 10 years, often leading to rising user discontent.

Total toll collection in India touched Rs 64,809.86 crore in 2023-24, a 35 per cent rise over the previous year. The collection was Rs 27,503 crore in 2019-20.

All user fee plazas on National Highways are established as per the provision of National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 and the respective Concession Agreement.

Gadkari expressed confidence that in the current financial year, the highways ministry will surpass the previous record of 37 km per day highways construction in 2020-21 financial year.

Around 7,000 km highways been constructed so far in the current financial year. Traditionally, the pace of highways construction is higher in the February-March period.

The pace of highways construction in the country has touched a record 37 km per day in financial year 2020-21. The highways ministry had constructed 13,435.4 kilometres in 2020-21; 10,457.2 km in 2021-22; 10,331 km in 2022-23, and 12,349 km in 2023-24.

Gadkari also said this financial year, the ministry will award highways projects of 13,000 km. The ministry had awarded highways project of 8,580.5 km in 2023-24. The pace of highway project awards has slowed down considerably in the absence of a new scheme to replace the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

According to Gadkari, under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, the ministry had the power to award highway projects of up to Rs 3,000 crore, now the ministry cannot approve any fresh projects under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

“For any project worth above Rs 1,000 crore, now we need to take the approval of the Cabinet. So, we have sent projects worth Rs 50,000-Rs 60,000 crore to the Cabinet for approval,” he said. “Once we get clearance, we will start working on those projects,” the minister added.

With an aim to reduce delay cost overrun and disputes, an inter-ministerial panel that appraises major highway projects has told the ministry to accept bids only after acquiring 90 per cent of the land required for the projects and getting all statutory projects such as forest and environment.

“This condition has affected the pace of award of highway projects,” Gadkari said. The government approved Bharatmala Pariyojana in 2017, covering a length of 34,800 km to improve connectivity and reduce logistic costs in the country.

As of October 31, 2024, projects covering a total length of 26,425 km have been awarded and 18,714 km has been constructed. India has the second largest road network and its National Highways span a total length of 1,46,195 km, forming the primary arterial network of the country.

Maharashtra

Conspiracy to defame Sameer Wankhede… serious accusation of protecting Cordelia Cruz from drug case, Judge Irfan Shaikh dismissed after disciplinary committee report

Published

on

Mumbai: An attempt to defame former NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede has started once again. Now the latest case is the dismissal of Judge Irfan Sheikh, in which this allegation has been made against Sameer Wankhede. In the Cordelia Cruz case, instead of arresting Judge Irfan Sheikh, his team has saved the judge. Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Irfan Sheikh was then posted as a judge of the Splendid Court. He was currently serving as a judge of Palghar and Thana District. After serious allegations like misuse of office, use of seized drugs, hitting a taxi with his car on Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg while intoxicated, abusing his powers along with having disproportionate wealth, hiding his identity at Nair Hospital and registering a false and misleading address, and getting the car back without depositing it, the High Court has dismissed the judge from service under disciplinary action. When the judge was investigated in the case, the allegations were found to be true and Irfan Sheikh was dismissed from his job. There is no mention of the Cordelia Cruz drug case anywhere in it, but Sameer Wankhede is being accused of helping the judge. Sameer Wankhede has categorically denied this and said that there is no mention of the Cordelia Cruz drug case in the police report or the judicial committee report.
When the documents and copies were obtained in this regard, there was no mention of the Cordelia Cruise drug case. Sameer Wankhede is a constant target of Bollywood, so Shah Rukh Khan’s company Red Chillies Entertainment had prepared a series of bad Bollywood stories against him, against which Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation case in the Delhi High Court and its hearing is likely to be held soon. The series of slander against Sameer Wankhede and his family has become long and this is the reason why the attempt to defame Sameer Wankhede has intensified in the Irfan Sheikh case as well, but Sameer Wankhede or the NCB team have no role or involvement in this matter.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Muslims should stop pasting stickers of I Love Muhammad, criticism of Somaiya and Nitesh Rane, accusation of Abu Asim Azmi of working on a hate agenda

Published

on

Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has appealed to Muslims to follow the footsteps and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and stop pasting stickers of I Love Muhammad because this government is taking action against pasting stickers and is also raining down batons. He said that the unrest being created over the I Love Muhammad sticker is a threat to the country, but despite this, the government is taking action against Muslims. On the Bareilly violence, Azmi said that I Love Muhammad is now an opportunity for sectarians under the guise of which they are running a hateful agenda. Therefore, now Muslims should love him with their true teachings and heart instead of pasting stickers of I Love Muhammad and should avoid pasting stickers. He said that Kirit Somaiya shows provocations about Ai Lo Muhammad and Muslims every day, along with that, the stickers that were pasted in Kurla were pasted with the will of the vehicle owners, there is no need to create a fuss and uproar over it, but Kirit Somaiya has no value, that is why he runs a hate agenda every day. Responding to BJP leader Nitesh Rane’s threat, MLA Abu Asim Azmi said that Nitesh Rane has no other business except spreading hatred, that is why I do not want to respond to his words. Elephants walk, dogs bark. He said that Nitesh Rane cannot even do Hanuman Chalisa and Bhagwat Gita Puja Paat properly, he only does politics in the name of Ram.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Thane: Major Blaze Erupts At Chemical Godown In Bhiwandi; One Fire Officer Injured

Published

on

Thane: A major fire broke out at a godown storing chemicals along the Mumbai-Nashik highway in Maharashtra’s Thane district, officials said on Monday.

While no casualty was reported in the blaze which erupted around 9.45 pm on Sunday, a fire officer was injured after falling into a drain during the firefighting operation, they said.

Thick smoke from the burning chemicals triggered panic in the surrounding industrial area.

Efforts were still on to douse the blaze, the officials said.

The fire originated in the chemical storage unit located near Savad Naka in Lonad village of Bhiwandi town along the highway, Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation’s disaster management cell chief Saquib Kharbe said.

Several fire engines and private water tankers were pressed into service, he said.

There was no report of any casualty in the blaze so far. However, fire officer Nitin Lad sustained injuries after slipping and falling into a drain while wearing a fire suit during the operation and was immediately provided medical assistance, the official said.

Four fire engines — two from Kalyan and one each from Bhiwandi and Ulhasnagar — were rushed to the spot. Several fire personnel were at the spot and efforts were still on to douse the flames, Thane Municipal Corporation’s disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said.

The cause of the blaze was yet to be determined, he added.

Continue Reading

Trending