Rs 2000 Crore And Over: Centre's Revenue Loss Due To Closure Of Toll Plazas Amid Farmers' Protests

The central government has lost out on around Rs 2000 crore as about 50 toll plazas in Punjab and Haryana have been shut down since the last eight months due to the ongoing farmer protests’ against the three farm laws passed by the Parliament last year.

The overall loss accounts to around Rs 5 crore on a daily basis and a central official told Money Control that this is probably the longest closure of such a large chunk of toll plazas altogether.

Few months ago, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had informed the Lok Sabha that the revenue loss owing to the shutdown of toll plazas stood at Rs 487 crore and Rs 326 crore in Punjab and Haryana respectively, as of 16^th March, 2021.

The central government's appeals to both the Haryana and Punjab state governments to restore the collection of fees at toll plazas haven’t delivered the necessary returns yet.

“It seems a complete surrender by both these states to this unprecedented unlawful act of farmers,” a senior official from New Delhi was quoted in the report.

Meanwhile, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) informed last week that toll operators can ask for relief as shutdown of toll plazas due to the protests will be considered to be an “indirect political force majeure event.