MCEPL digs up 350-m stretch paved by residents, blocks access to Delhi-Gurgaon e-way

On Tuesday morning, Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway concessionaire Millennium City Expressway Private Ltd (MCEPL), blocked access to the 350-metre link stretch from the

On Tuesday morning, Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway concessionaire Millennium City Expressway Private Ltd (MCEPL), blocked access to the 350-metre link stretch from the Northern Peripheral Road (NPR). The stretch was paved on Sunday night by residents of sectors 79-113 for bypassing the Kherki Daula toll plaza. Toll-free access to the expressway has been a long-standing demand of residents from these sectors and some neighbouring villages.

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Coincidently, the land where residents paved the 350-metre road is held by a private individual who had donated the stretch for public cause.

For digging up the road, MCEPL cited the Delhi High Court order of January 25 stating “NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) has been given liberty to take temporary measures, such as barricading, to prevent vehicular movement from getting on to the bypass road”. The order was issued after the wall, built by MCEPL in 2016, was demolished this January 23 by Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) giving commuters direct access to take the expressway in convention of MCEPL’s contract with the NHAI. A contract between the highways authority and the concessionaire allows the latter to collect toll till 2023.

Around 11am Tuesday, the MCEPL put concrete jersey barriers on the road preventing vehicles from getting on to the expressway service lane. When this measure led to traffic jams, MCEPL chief executive officer S Raghuraman instructed his team to dig a trench where the road started.

“On January 25, when we had put up steel barriers, commuters started using an alternative route to access the expressway. This road was not paved; it was muddy. We didn’t object as it was not a black-top route. We decided to take action when residents constructed a road themselves (on Sunday),” Raghuraman said.

The NHAI has supported MCEPL’s move in blocking the passage of vehicles. NHAI project director Ashok Sharma said, “The MCEPL is working as per the orders of the court.”

While the move was opposed by some residents, Kherki-Daula villagers came out in MCEPL’s support after they were promised exclusive connectivity to the expressway.

VILLAGERS GET ACCESS

Vivek Prakash, a resident of Sector 86, said, “We will again have to travel the extra mile and stand in long queues.” Some residents said the Haryana government is supporting the toll operator as it is unable to solve the Kherki-Daula toll removal issue. “It seems that everyone in the government is helping the MCEPL do what they want,” Sector 92 resident Aman Chawla said.

Promising access to villagers, Raghuraman said, “We are going to make a 150-metre road for the villagers so they can have easy access to the expressway. Height barriers will be installed so that trucks don’t ply on it. In 2014, 31 villages were exempted from paying toll, this village (Kherki Daula) is in the list; MCEPL needs their support. This proposed village road will be adjacent to the NPR.”

Mahesh Kumar, a resident of Kherki-Daula village said, “We were troubled when this access road was made by residents. Trucks would take this road causing jams and commotion.” Till now, the village road is muddy and only provides expressway connectivity to locals.

Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria, BJP MP from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan, had also come to the NPR on Tuesday afternoon and questioned MCEPL’s move to block the passage made by residents. “This way was made with the support of residents and should not have been closed. We will take this matter up with the people,” he said. Raghuraman and Jaunpuria also got into a spat when the MCEPL CEO showed him the court orders.