Gaurav Gogoi urges Nitin Gadkari to halt toll collection in dilapidated NH stretches

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Congress MP and Deputy Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, has written to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Jairam Gadkari, demanding immediate suspension of toll collection on poorly maintained stretches of Assam’s national highways.

In his letter, Gogoi highlighted growing public resentment against toll collection on NH-27 and NH-37, where roads are riddled with potholes, uneven surfaces, and frequent waterlogging. He cited repeated accidents and severe travel delays, particularly between Sonapur-Raha and Baihata Chariali-Nalbari, with local reports from Jagiroad, Raha, and Bajali flagging hazardous conditions.

Protests have already erupted near the Galia toll plaza in Bhawanipur and in Upper Assam, where citizens and truckers complain of rising toll charges amid floods, unemployment, and inflation. Gogoi warned that spiralling transport costs are pushing up prices of essential commodities, worsening the burden on households.

The MP drew attention to a recent Supreme Court ruling that criticized toll collection on damaged highways, observing that citizens “cannot be compelled to pay tolls for navigating gutters and potholes.” Referring to the court’s suspension of tolls on NH-544 in Kerala, Gogoi argued that similar action is necessary in Assam until safe and motorable roads are restored.

Calling the situation “an erosion of public trust”, Gogoi urged Gadkari to:

1. Suspend toll collection at the identified plazas until repairs are completed and certified.

2. Expedite maintenance work across key stretches in Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, and Jorhat.

3. Conduct a full audit of NHAI-operated toll plazas in Assam to ensure compliance with safety and maintenance standards.

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