Expansion plans for the congested 32-lane Delhi-Gurgaon toll plaza have been hanging fire for more than two years. A proposal to set up a 12-lane split toll plaza on either side of NH-8 has not seen the light of the day as the Haryana government and NHAI have not resolved cost-sharing issues.
As per an estimate by the toll management company submitted with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), each plaza would cost Rs 24 crore.
The Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) had refused to bear the costs of expansion after the ‘mammoth’ estimates were submitted, though it had made a commitment earlier.
“We had rushed a fresh proposal to the NHAI for 12-lane split toll plazas on either side of the existing one in June this year after HSIIDC had agreed to bear the costs for one of them. However, the HSIIDC backtracked after getting to know of the a 24-crore price tag,” said Manoj Aggarwal, CEO, Delhi-Gurgaon Supper Connectivity Limited (DGSCL).
Now, HSIIDC wants NHAI to bear 50% of the cost, and the highway authority has also refused. The decision to construct the split toll plaza was taken in a meeting of the NHAI, HSIIDC and concessionaire firm DSC after a group of industrialists and RWAs had staged a demonstration recently and tried to force open the peripheral road connecting Udyog Vihar, Sector 21, 22, 23 and 23A to the Gurgaon Expressway.
Talking to HT from Chandigarh, HSIIDC managing director Rajiv Arora admitted that the body had agreed to foot the bill but never knew that it would cost that much.
{{/usCountry}}Talking to HT from Chandigarh, HSIIDC managing director Rajiv Arora admitted that the body had agreed to foot the bill but never knew that it would cost that much.
{{/usCountry}}“Then, we had thought it would be a few lakhs. I do not understand why HSIIDC should spend crores on a toll plaza which is the NHAI’s responsibility,” Arora said.
On the other hand, NHAI officials said that the HSIIDC is simply refusing to honour an earlier commitment. “Any new facility on the NH-8 crossing through Gurgaon would be the Haryana government’s responsibility,” said a senior NHAI official.