Gadkari discusses high toll taxes, highway development, and project delays.

Nitin Gadkari, India's Union Road and Transport Minister, addressed the issue of excessive toll collection during News18 Chaupal on Monday. When questioned about the Rs 8,000 crore toll tax collection compared to the Rs 1,900 crore cost of road construction, Gadkari clarified that tolls aren't collected instantly and that the government incurs various expenses before and after toll collection begins.

He drew a comparison, stating that just as buying a car or house on loan increases the overall cost due to interest, road projects, which often involve loans, also accumulate additional costs.

Regarding the toll collection on the Delhi-Jaipur NH-8 Highway, Gadkari pointed out that the project was initiated in 2009 by the UPA government, involving nine banks, and faced numerous obstacles. The original contractors abandoned the project, leading to legal disputes with the banks. After new contractors were brought in and later terminated, a court stay order further delayed progress. Additionally, challenges like encroachments, environmental factors, and heavy rains complicated the construction of the 6-lane highway.

Gadkari's explanation came in response to an RTI that revealed around Rs 8,000 crore had been collected from the Manoharpur Toll Plaza on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway, while the initial construction cost was Rs 1,900 crore. He emphasized that highway projects frequently face delays due to contractor, legal, and environmental issues.