PWD seeks Maharashtra government’s approval to buy back 30 toll roads across the state
The Public Works Department (PWD) has recently placed a formal proposal before the Maharashtra state government for buying back 30 two-lane toll roads across the state.
The toll roads which have been considered in the proposal essentially include those roads where only up to 3 years of toll collection have been left.
If the ‘toll road buy back’ proposal put forth by PWD receives the approval of the state cabinet, the move will require the state to pay approximately Rs 300 crore to different private firms for the laying and maintenance of the 30 toll roads for which the buyback has been proposed.
The Maharashtra government is already worried about the increasing public outrage over the numerous toll nakas that have been put up across the state in recent years. The government’s worries have chiefly been triggered after violent agitations by political workers.
Going by the details shared by officials, 5,000-km stretch of road built under the public-private participation model has as many as 171 toll nakas. Out of these toll nakas, 8 have been closed in the past four months because of the expiry of the concession period.
Drawing attention to the fact that the concession period for PPP projects ranges from between 5 years and 30 years, the officials said that Maharashtra state first started charging toll in 1989, but the failure of the concept at that time led to its reintroduction in 1996.
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