For reviewing the fee collection records and ensuring collection of fees as per provision of NH Fee Rule/ Concession Agreement, independent audits are conducted such as Internal Audit, Thematic Audit and Forensic Audit.

Further, to overcome the issue of fraudulent practice and to ensure transparency, Toll Management and Control Centre (TMCC) portal has been developed by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)/ Indian Highway Management Company Limited (IHMCL) to monitor the real time transaction details of fee plazas to identify any discrepancies and monitoring lane operations continuously.

In addition, nodal officers have been appointed for fee plazas who monitor lane level operations at fee plazas.

As per Rule 13 of National Highways (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules 2008, an officer authorized by the Central Government or by the executing authority, as the case may be, may assess the excess fee collected, if any, by the executing authority or the concessionaire, as the case may be, and recover the same from such authority or concessionaire, along with an additional sum equal to twenty-five per cent of the excess fee collected. Provided that no recovery of such excess fee shall be made unless an opportunity of hearing has been given to the executing authority or concessionaire, as the case may be.

Further, in case of Public Funded fee plazas, Clause 18 of Contract agreement provides that in case it is observed and/or established to the satisfaction of the Authority that the fee collecting agency has charged user fee in excess of the prescribed rate, the Authority may impose a penalty of an amount equal to fifty times of the actual amount so charged per day for 30 days i.e. (actual amount charged x 30 days x 50).

There is no such fake plaza operating/ no such incident noticed/ found on National Highways sections.

Pilot study with regard to Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based user fee collection system has already been done on the following two Highway stretches: -

1. Bengaluru-Mysore section of NH-275 in the State of Karnataka.
2. Panipat- Hisar section of NH-709 (old NH-71A) in the State of Haryana.

It has been decided to initially implement GNSS based Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) System at selected sections across Country of National Highways on pilot basis as an added facility along with FASTag.

User fee rates at National Highways fee plazas are levied as per the extant National Highways Fee Rules.

Upkeep and maintenance of National Highways (NHs) including bridges, structures, etc. are undertaken through different modes. In Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contracts, the Contractors maintain road during construction period and thereafter during Defects Liability Period-cum-Maintenance Period. In Design Build Finance Operate and Transfer (DBFOT)/ Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) Contracts, the Concessionaires maintain the road during construction period and thereafter till end of concession period. Concessionaires of Toll Operate and Transfer (TOT)/Special Purpose Vehicle (SPVs) of INVIT agreements maintain the road during the concession period. Rest of the National Highways stretches are generally maintained by contractors of Performance based Maintenance Contract (PBMC) and Short-term Maintenance Contract (STMC).

This information was given by the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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MJPS/GS