Government can collect toll tax on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway:High Court
By Riti, Section GN
Posted on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 09:48:38 PM EST
The Centre on Wednesday informed the Delhi High Court that the government has the power to levy toll tax on motorists using any highway, including the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.
Appearing before the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice S Muralidhar, government counsel Rajiv Mehra countered a petitioner's contention that without providing alternative roads (which do not have a usage charge) to daily commuters on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) could not force them to pay a toll tax.
"Those who don't want to use the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway can use the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road to travel daily," the counsel argued and added that the governments has the power under the NHAI Act to levy toll tax on the users of this road.
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The court was hearing a PIL challenging the Centre's step to levy toll tax on daily commuters for using the Expressway.
Vivek Bharat Ram, the petitioner, contended before the Bench that at present a commuter has to pay Rs 17 for one-side use of the road.
There are two slip roads meant for the two and three-wheeler users but there is no alternative road for car drivers to escape the toll tax, he alleged.
Seeking the court's intervention into the issue, the petitioner sought a direction to the government for removing toll tax as it would amount to be a burden on the daily users.
The bench expressed its inability to intervene into a policy decision taken by the government but said it would hear arguments on the next date of hearing on the limited issue that if there is any law which did not empower the Centre to levy such a tax.
Source:ZeeNews.com 16thJuly2008.
