Thanks to RTI activist Vivek Velankar, the Maharashtra SCIC recently ordered toll contracts and toll collections to be put up on the website, but strangely data for Expressway and Mumbai Entry Point are still kept a secret
The contentious issue of toll collection in Maharashtra that has the highest toll fees compared to other States and one, which is mired in suspicion, recently got a boost for transparency and citizen empowerment. Ratnakar Gaikwad, State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC), ordered the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Maharashtra State Road Development Corp (MSRDC) to publish on their respective websites toll contracts as well as toll collection with continuous updating for all public-private-partnership (PPP) projects. However, there still are no details on toll collection on Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the Mumbai Entry Points (MEP).
Following the direction, nearly 10,000 pages have been uploaded on the websites of PWD and MSRDC comprising toll contracts as well as toll collections of 16 projects of MSRDC and 42 projects of PWD. Strangely, the toll collection of Pune-Mumbai Expressway and MEP are not uploaded.
Right to Information (RTI) activist Vivek Velankar, who took up the issue to the SCIC, said, “What is strange is that the Expressway contract with the Ideal Road Builders (IRB) has been uploaded but not the toll collection details. We are watching closely and if need be, I would be again filing a complaint with the SCIC, since I smell something allegedly fishy.”
In fact, the 27 July 2015 order from the SCIC resulted in a sluggish response from authorities which propelled Velankar to once again file a complaint. In the 27th July order, the SCIC has clearly ordered that: “the Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works Department & Managing Director, MSRDC will ensure that all information pertaining to PPP Projects in the State and especially toll contracts be put up on their websites by 24 August 2015 positively and compliance be reported accordingly.”
“The Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra is directed to ensure that the instructions contained in Government of India, Ministry of Personnel and Public Grievances & Pensions Department of Personnel & Training dated 15 April 2013 are implemented forthwith,” the order said.
However, Velankar brought to the notice of the SCIC, that, the PWD had not published any information while MSRDC had published only partial information. “MSRDC has published just six agreements of toll and that to without details of operation and maintenance manuals; details of fees collected and selection of vendor criteria. They have not published the majority of toll contracts including the most important toll agreement like Pune-Mumbai Expressway,” he informed the SCIC.
As a sequel to the letter, the SCIC initiated an enquiry under Section 18 (2) of the RTI Act and issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary as well as PWD and Managing Director (MD) of MSRDC to appear before it on 15th September. Velankar was also present.
The PWD representative stated that information regarding all 43 projects has been put up on the website, but Velankar argued that the information was incomplete. He also brought to the notice of the SCIC that while the MSRDC has put up details of the toll collection of the Old Pune-Mumbai Highway, it had not done so in the case of the Expressway and Mumbai Entry Point.
Representative of the MSRDC, Rajendra Jawanjal, assured that the information would be put up by 30th September. Velankar is keenly awaiting.
“I am waiting (for the information),” Velankar said, adding, “Until now no one knew the actual figures of toll collection and terms of contract. I urge activists all over Maharashtra to study this data in their respective region and put pressure on the government agencies to levy the remaining toll tax as per collection already made or make it into a freeway if the figure of estimated toll collection has surpassed in actuality.”
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| | Will transparency in toll collection open up a Pandora’s Box? | | | | Maybe, as the information on old Pune-Mumbai Highway is a case in point. | | | | As against the estimated toll collection of Rs873-odd crore until mid-2015, already the actual toll collection is Rs1,073-odd crore. | | |  | | |
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(Vinita Deshmukh is consulting editor of Moneylife, and also convener of the Pune Metro Jagruti Abhiyaan. She is the recipient of prestigious awards like the Statesman Award for Rural Reporting which she won twice in 1998 and 2005 and the Chameli Devi Jain award for outstanding media person for her investigation series on Dow Chemicals. She co-authored the book “To The Last Bullet - The Inspiring Story of A Braveheart - Ashok Kamte” with Vinita Kamte and is the author of “The Mighty Fall”.)
Toll collection done now leads to generation of Black Money of few Crores every day.
It is a permanent & rich source of easy income to high profile politicians.
Ever since toll collection is privatised, the real concept of toll collection has vanished, long ago.
Toll collection for bridge started for the first time, on Mankhurd-Vashi bridge way back in the year, 1972, when it was newly constructed. In the year, 1982, when new bridge was planned, parallel to existing bridge, some one filed a petition against Maharashtra PWD, to know how much toll was collected. Then toll was being collected by PWD's own staff, so data was fully available. It was found that four times the cost of the old creek bridge was collected in 11 years, so from year 1983, Vashi old bridge toll was cancelled, by a High Court Order.
In the year, 1997, one way of new Vashi - Mankhurd bridge was opened with toll. Surprisingly, along with new bridge, toll for old bridge was also started collecting, but now, with toll contractors.
Concept of recovery of the cost of the bridge has vanished long ago, since all toll plazas are managed by private contractors, who are political big wigs.