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The National Highway Authoritys of India (NHAI) has decided to go ahead with the revision of the toll fee at the Pimpalgaon toll plaza on or after Tuesday, even as a local MLA from Niphad has warned of a stiff agitation against the hike. In a public notice issued on Sunday, the NHAI stated that the revised rates shall be implemented on or after 6am on May 20. The NHAI had earlier put the toll revision from May 12 on hold, considering the proposed agitation call by local Shiv Sena MLA Anil Kadam.

PNG Tollways has started collecting toll from October 2012. Since 98 Percent of the work on the stretch is complete, the construction company had decided to increase the toll from 08.03.2014, as per the agreement with NHAI. Since the district administration was unable to provide police bandobast at the plaza due to the election code of conduct being in force, it was decided to revise the toll after polling ended. Once polling got over, the company had decided to implement the hike from May 12. Kadam warned of a stiff agitation and it was decided to resolve the issue after the counting of votes on May 16.

Sources in PNG Tollways, the company that collects toll, said that they would be implementing the revision in the fee from Tuesday. The NHAI public notice has been issued to ensure that they do not have to offer a corrigendum every time in view of the technical difficulties that were coming in the way for the toll revision. "If the revised toll is not implemented from Tuesday, it will be done whenever possible after the said date without having to issue another public notice," a PNG Tollways official said.

NHAI officials said that the revision was put on hold on May 12 considering that the district administration was busy in the counting of votes on May 16. A meeting with the district collector was scheduled after May 16. Officials said that since the meeting was not happening on the expected date, they were going ahead with implementing the toll revision.

MLA Anil Kadam wrote to Nashik district collector Vilas Patil on Sunday focusing his attention on the "impulsiveness of the NHAI on revising the toll rates" without waiting for the scheduled meeting between the district administration, public representatives and the PNG Tollways.

"The meeting was proposed after May 16. However, the NHAI has issued a public notice about toll revision on or after May 20, which only goes on to show haste on the part of the company for the toll fee hike," Kadam said. In his memorandum, Kadam stated that the stand by the toll company was an indication of its contempt for the district administration and peoples' representatives. Kadam said that a severe agitation will follow if the toll fee was hiked without a proper discussion between the district administration and peoples' representatives.

NHAI officials said that PNG Tollways, which has widened the 60-km stretch from Pimpalgaon to Gonde on the Mumbai Agra National Highway 3, has made a claim of INR 28 crore for the loss it had incurred for not being able to revise the toll rate on the scheduled date.

Source-On Request