Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today approved the revised Toll policy aimed at the rationalization in the toll rates besides enhancing the user acceptability in the state. Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief minister’s office said that Mr. Badal was presiding over the meeting of the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) here at his residence late last evening in the presence of the Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukahbir Singh Badal.
According to the Revised Toll Policy minimum road toll charges would be reduced to Rs. 15 which was Rs.31 earlier. Likewise, the toll rate for structures (Flyovers or RoBs) would be now linked with the cost of the structure instead of length, which would tremendously reduce the toll rates.
As of now, only 40% of the wholesale price index (WPI) would be taken into account while revising the toll rate after every year. This is apart from a fixed component of a 3% annual increase which was 10% in earlier policy. It was also approved that for the Daily Pass validity based on one calendar Day in the existing policy , 24 hour period from the issuance of the toll slip would be considered and for the frequent users 25% discount would be given instead of present discount of 20%. The validity for the Monthly Pass would also consider valid for 30 days from the date of issuance.
It may be recalled here that the Toll Policy of Punjab was notified in 2004-05, under which nine BOT (Built operate & Transfer) and two O&M (operation a& maintenance) road projects and one O&M high level bridge had been completed and made operational through PIDB.
The board has also approved various Roads, ROBs and High level bridges projects worth Rs. 3448 crore that included eleven major road BOT projects of total 567Km length to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 3200 crore.
Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Local Government Minister Mr. Chunni Lal Bhagat, Tourism Minister Mr. Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Transport Minister Mr. Ajit Singh Kohar, Health & Family Welfare Minister Mr. Madan Mohan Mittal, Finance & Planning Minister Mr. Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Chief Secretary Mr. Rakesh Singh, Principal Secretary Tourism Mrs. Geetika Kalha, Principal Secretary Local Government Mr. Jagpal Singh, Special Principal Secretary to the CM Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar, Managing Director PIDB Mr. Anurag Aggarwal, Secretary PWD Mr. PS Aujla and Secretary Finance Mr. Jaspal Singh besides other senior officers of the state administration.