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The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has asked Central government and the National Highway Authority of India to explain why the court should not issue directions for removal of four toll plazas erected between Lucknow and Gorakhpur on NH 28. The toll plazas at Ahmadpur, Rounahi, Chaukdi and Madwa Nagar, the court has said, were constructed in contravention of existing rules that toll plazas not be constructed within 60 kms of each other on the same stretch of road.

On Tuesday, the court directed Centre and NHAI to file a reply within four weeks. It posted the matter for next hearing after said period. The order came on a PIL moved by local lawyer Amitabh Pratap Singh .The petitioner has sought removal of these four toll plazas and strict compliance of the rules.

The PIL said NH 28 is 570 Kms long. 311 kms falls in UP and 259 kms in Bihar. The NHAI established a toll plaza at Ahmadpur within 53 Kms from Shaheed Path which is set as fixed point for calculation of the distance. The other toll plazas are Rounahi at 107 km, Chaukdi at 163 kms and Madwanagar at 198 km distance. These toll plazas should have been established at 60 km gap each but these are established in violation of rules in order to realise more taxes. The petitioner also questioned the proprietary of realising toll tax through plazas, pleading that Centre and state governments already impose taxes on petrol and diesel.

Source-On Request