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Maharashtra

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

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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

Mumbai : There is no solution to the problem of landslides in the last 15 years, 22,483 families live in dangerous areas in the city and suburbs

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Mumbai: Hill collapses are not new to Mumbai, but the state government has failed to take serious steps to address the problem in the last 15 years. In the last 34 years, 340 people have lost their lives and over 300 have been injured in landslides.

In 25 of Mumbai’s 36 assembly constituencies, 257 places in hilly areas have been classified as dangerous. RTI activist Anil Gilgali said that the Mumbai Slum Improvement Board had recommended the relocation of 9,657 out of 22,483 identified slums on priority basis. It had also proposed to make the remaining slums safe by building protective walls around the hills. Gilgali had earlier warned the Maharashtra government about the risk of landslides at 327 places during the monsoon season.

Between 1992 and 2026, 340 people died and over 300 were injured in landslides. The Mumbai Slum Improvement Board had recommended relocation. A comprehensive survey was conducted in 2010. If action had been taken then, the deaths of the residents of these hilly areas could have been prevented. Following the board’s report and Anil Gilgali’s correspondence, the then Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan ordered the Urban Development Department to prepare an action plan on September 1, 2011. However, 15 years have passed since then, and the Urban Development Department is yet to start working on it. In other words, no one has prepared an ‘Action Taken Plan’ (ATP) as directed by the Chief Minister,

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Maharashtra

Robbery in Mumbai Saki Naka, 4 arrested, stolen goods recovered

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Mumbai: The Sakinaka police have claimed to have solved the mystery of the robbery at the junk shop of the complainant, Mohammed Hussain Abdul Karim, and arrested the accused. 22 kg of silver and cash worth a total of Rs 44 lakh were stolen from the junk shop. The shop was located in Anise Compound. The police had registered a complaint regarding this. On this basis, the Mumbai Police’s detection team tracked down the thieves and arrested four accused and claimed to have seized silver worth Rs 44 lakh and a mobile phone. The accused have been identified as Maqsood Shah, 20, a resident of Sakinaka in Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, Zeeshan Abdul Subhan, 20, a resident of Mumbra, Daighar, Akhbar Hussain Ghulam Murtaza, 27, Mumbra, and Irfan Noorullah Khan, 26, Siddharth Nagar, UP. The four accused have been arrested and the stolen goods have been recovered. This operation was carried out by DCP Dutta Nalawade on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti.

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Maharashtra

37 unauthorized shops removed from footpaths in Vakola area, action taken by BMC ‘H East’ ward under ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is implementing the ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign to ensure that pedestrians can walk on the footpaths with ease. As part of this initiative, action was taken to remove 37 unauthorised shops obstructing the footpaths along Rajendra Kamble Marg in Vakola area yesterday (August 11, 2026). The operation was carried out by the ‘H East’ ward of BMC. As per the directions of the High Court and under the guidance of Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide. BMC is effectively implementing the ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign to clear the footpaths of unauthorised hawkers and encroachments, thus making them free from obstructions. In this backdrop, the footpaths along Rajendra Kamble Marg in Vakola were cleared during an operation led by Assistant Commissioner (H East Ward) Smt. Mr. Mridula Ande, Deputy Commissioner (Zone-3) under the guidance of Shri Vishwas Mote. During this drive, 37 unauthorized shops erected on footpaths were removed, and materials obstructing the walkways were seized.

The operation was carried out with the support of about 31 officers and staff members using 4 vehicles, 2 dumpers, 1 JCB and other machinery. Adequate police security was deployed during the drive.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation continues to implement measures to ensure the availability of accessible footpaths for pedestrians. Therefore, unauthorized constructions or placement of materials obstructing footpaths are prohibited. The Municipal Corporation administration has said that strict action will be taken if such incidents are found.

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