'Illegal' toll collection: Karnataka High Court issues notice to Centre, NHAI

Bengaluru, July 22 (IANS) The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Central Government and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in connection with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking action on the alleged illegal toll collection at the Nagasandra toll plaza on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi, after considering the petition, issued the notices and posted the matter for further hearing on September 17. The PIL has been filed by advocate A.V. Amarnathan.

According to the PIL, the contract period for toll collection at the plaza expired in 2021. However, the toll continues to be collected from vehicles, primarily via FASTag. The highway in question connects nearly 20 districts across the state.

The petition alleges that, despite the expiry of the contract period, lakhs of rupees are still being collected every day. It contends that toll collection within city limits is illegal, arbitrary, and unauthorised.

The PIL has also sought complete details of the toll revenue collected at the Nagasandra toll plaza from 2021 to date.

It can be recalled that, in a crackdown on irregularities in toll collection, the NHAI had barred 14 toll collection agencies for irregular activities, following a probe after Uttar Pradesh STF unearthed a fraud. Based on the FIR, 13 user fee-collecting agencies were debarred for a period of two years in March 2025.

The Parliament was earlier informed that Rs 12.55 lakh refunds were made in 2024 for faulty toll collections on National Highways. The NHAI had further stated that more than Rs 2 crore is imposed as fine on user fee collecting agencies for incorrect user fee deduction cases.

--IANS

mka/uk