Vehicles with local number made to pay full toll at Ban

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 12

The toll plaza at Ban in Nagrota has once again started charging full road tax from the residents of Jammu and Katra. Earlier, the tax was reduced to Rs 35 for the light motor vehicles with local registration number.

The Ban toll plaza on the Jammu-Udhampur highway had been made functional on March 19 amid stiff opposition from the local population.

“Earlier, they used to charge Rs 35 for a car. But yesterday, when I was travelling to Udhampur they asked me to pay Rs 75. When I enquired about the sudden hike, the person at the counter rudely said that ‘this is the new rate’. How can they change rules without prior notice to the general public?” asked Sumit Gupta, from Jammu.

People alleged that the hike followed the change of contractor by the authorities concerned. They said the new contractor, in violation of the rules, has started charging full toll from the locals.

“The highway is still incomplete…first they levied toll and now they are harassing the locals as well. The government should take some serious action against the contractor and settle the things with the highway authorities so that common people are not harassed,” said Gupta.

The Opposition had earlier cornered the state government on the issue of toll collection at Ban in the last Assembly session in Jammu. It had asked the government to defer tax collection till the four-laning of the Jammu-Srinagar highway was completed.

The civil society and Chamber of Commerce and Industry have also been demanding exemption of toll for the locals and Vaishno Devi and Amarnath pilgrims.

The National Highways Authority of India has changed two contractors for the toll plaza in less than four months. The revenue collection fixed by the authorities has been brought down to Rs 7.35 lakh per day as against Rs 8.9 lakh per day set earlier, but still the local residents are made to pay more.

“All private vehicles have to pay Rs 75 as toll tax. Only taxis bearing registration number JK02 will be charged Rs 35. Earlier, the contractor might have mistakenly charged less from the private vehicles,” said RP Singh, Project Director, NHAI, Jammu.

He said the contractors had been changed due to the “less revenue collections”, but added that they were “charging as per the guidelines”.