MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has sought counter from the State government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking direction to remove the three newly established toll plazas in the Ring Road that connects Uthangudi with Kappalur.
Filed by a sexagenarian, one K Immanuel of Madurai, the litigation challenged the very government order (G.O.) passed by the State Highway and Minor Ports department on March 27, 2017, for establishing the three toll plazas at Sivaganga Junction (Mastanpatti), Sinthamani Junction and Valayamkulam Junction (Parambupatti) on the 27-km stretch that extends from Madurai-Sivagangai Ring Road to Kappalur.
As the new toll plazas are situated between the already existing toll plazas (run by the National Highways Authority of India) in Chittampatti and Eliyarpathi, vehicles coming from Chennai have to pay toll fee at five plazas from Chittampatti to Kappalur in Madurai district alone, while those going to Thoothukudi have to pay toll fee at four places, Immanuel pointed out.
'Violation of rules'
He also alleged that the State government violated the rules prescribed under National Highways Act which states that toll plazas should be established at a distance of 10 km from the town area limits and that there shall be a distance of 60 km between two toll plazas. The authorities are also collecting nearly double the stipulated amount (`0.65 per km) as toll fee, he further alleged. No separate rules and regulations have been framed by the State government apart from the above rules, he further noted.
Lack of facilities
While the toll plazas run by NHAI have eight lanes, the new ones have only four lanes causing the road users to wait in long queues to pass through the stretch, he added. Moreover, the new toll plazas do not have facilities, including separate lane for ambulances, two wheelers among others, as mandated by the High Court, Immanuel stated.
Another PIL was filed by one J Vijayaraja of Madurai seeking direction to forbear the State government from collecting toll fee in the three new toll plazas. A division bench comprising Justices M Duraiswamy and T Ravindran, who heard the PILs, issued notice to the Secretary of Highways department, Superintending Engineer of Tamil Nadu Road Infrastructure Development Corporation, Madurai collector and corporation commissioner and sought counter from them at the next hearing on December 11