Ladowal toll agency alleges losses due to stir, moves High Court

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 14

A concessionaire managing the Ladowal toll plaza on the Panipat-Jalandhar highway today approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court claiming losses following inability to collect fee due to the farmers' agitation and "breakdown of law and order set-up".

Next hearing Jan 6

• Taking up the petition against the State of Punjab and other respondents filed by M/S Panipat-Jalandhar NH-1 Tollway Pvt Ltd through counsel Sumeet Goel, Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi asked the concessionaire company to furnish information regarding position at other toll plazas run by it. Justice Sethi fixed the case for further hearing on January 6, 2021

Taking up the petition against the State of Punjab and other respondents filed by M/S Panipat-Jalandhar NH-1 Tollway Pvt Ltd through counsel Sumeet Goel, Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi asked the concessionaire company to furnish information regarding position at other toll plazas run by it. Justice Sethi also fixed the case for further hearing on January 6, 2021.

Appearing before the Bench through videoconferencing, Goel submitted the company suffered loss of around Rs 36.63 crore, excluding interest, following non-collection of requisite toll fee at the Ladowal toll plaza from October 7 to November 24.

Going into details, Goel added the company was granted the exclusive right, licence and authority to construct, operate and maintain around 291 km of the six-lane road, from km 96 to km 387, on National Highway-1 from Panipat to Jalandhar for 15 years with the right to exclusively levy and collect toll from May 11, 2009.

Goel submitted that the working and collection of toll at the the toll plaza was disrupted and the requisite toll could not be collected. The non-collection of toll had also resulted in disruption of highway maintenance.

He added the petitioner-company requested the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner and police authorities to ensure the toll plaza's functioning. On September 23, the petitioner sent a communication to the project director, NHAI, also requesting him police protection for the assets and staff to prevent disruption in operations. Despite requests, nothing was done, he said.

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