Toll hike betrayal of public trust, says Rajya Sabha MP

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP government over the toll hike, which will come into effect from April 1, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and party general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala accused the ruling party of turning highways into “loot centres”.

“Every year on April 1 and July 1, charges at toll plazas are increased, forcing people to pay these for eternity, generation after generation,” he said.

Surjewala alleged that the BJP government had resorted to massive revenue collection through toll fee, amounting to Rs 85,000 crore annually nationwide and Rs 1,500 crore from Haryana alone.

He said during the Congress rule, the charges stood at Rs 1.17 per km, whereas under the BJP, these had risen to Rs 3.50 per km. Describing the hike as betrayal of public trust, he said, “the BJP deceives people with grand promises before elections but imposes ‘jaziya tax’ on toll plazas, fuel and essential commodities afterwards.”

Surjewala emphasised that Haryana’s people were bearing the brunt of toll hikes since the state had many national highways. With 44 toll plazas in Haryana alone, residents were being forced to pay charges for travel between districts, he said. Citing official figures from a parliamentary report presented on November 28, 2024, Surjewala said the toll collection across the country had skyrocketed from Rs 17,759 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 64,809 crore in 2023-24 and to Rs 85,000 crore in 2024-25, a 500 per cent increase in just a decade of BJP rule.

Surjewala further criticised the BJP government’s recent policy decision. He said, “On February 6, the government admitted in Parliament that even after the concession periods expire, toll collection will continue indefinitely. This means citizens, their children and future generations will be forced to pay toll forever.”

The Congress leader highlighted the significant increase in the rates at various toll crossings in the state, including the Khatkar toll plaza, Gharaunda toll plaza and Narnaul’s Jat Guwana toll plaza.

The MP raised questions about the utilisation of thousands of crores collected through toll across Haryana and the country. He alleged that while hefty taxes were being charged, the government had failed to deliver promised infrastructure and safety measures.

Citing National Highway 152D, Surjewala pointed out that despite collecting toll revenue, none of the proposed six trauma centres had been made operational. He also highlighted the poor condition of the KMP Expressway, saying,”It is riddled with potholes, lacks proper lighting, and has no security arrangements, making nighttime travel unsafe.”