The Haryana Government and National Highway Authority India Limited (NHAI) are finally going ahead with their plans to remove the Kherki Daula toll plaza.
An official meeting on the removal of the toll plaza was held between officials of Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Association (HSIIDC) and NHAI on Friday in Chandigarh.
The meeting saw discussions on the viability of the toll booth's removal from Kherki Daula and also its relocation. Challenges such as traffic congestion, increase in violence against the toll booth attendants and a strong resentment of industrial associations and commuters against Kherki Daula toll booth were also discussed in the meeting.
Though not officially confirmed, officials decided that the solution to these challenges would be to remove the toll plaza and relocate it beyond Manesar industrial area. Also, plans on erection of new toll plaza at Bilaspur have been chalked out.
According to official sources, the target to remove the toll plaza has been fixed to three months. They, however, conceded that with various challenges involved, the entire process might take six months.
As Kherki Daula toll plaza is being operated by a private company, both public agencies will bear the cost of removal and set up of the toll booth. A financial plan that will soon be prepared will calculate the cost borne by government agencies in both removal and erection of the toll plaza.
"There have been a lot of controversies around the toll plaza. Ever since it became functional, commuters, as well as industrial bodies, have expressed resentment against the Kherki Daula toll plaza. As there has been massive growth around the Kherki Daula area with development of new residential and industrial sectors, it led to heavy traffic around the area. Most of the commuters and industrial bodies complained that the presence of toll was the main reason for increased traffic congestion in the area," said a senior government official in Chandigarh.
Expressing contentment with the removal of the toll plaza, R S Rathee of Gurgaon Citizens Council said: "There was a deep resentment against the toll plaza and various citizen bodies and industrial organisations were demanding its removal. As the toll plaza is situated within the municipal limits, the government realised that the toll plaze ultimately had to go. We will now hope that the process of removal of the toll plaza happens soon without getting delayed."