PIL labels DND toll ‘illegal’, Delhi HC sends notice to Noida, Delhi govt

The Delhi high court on Thursday issued notices to the Delhi government and Noida on a PIL that sought directions for discontinuing toll on the DND Flyway on the grounds that it was illegal

The Delhi high court on Thursday issued notices to the Delhi government and Noida on a PIL that sought directions for discontinuing toll on the DND Flyway on the grounds that it was illegal.

The DND Flyway has seen a number of protests by residents’ groups recently over the issue payment of toll. (HT File Photo)

A bench of chief justice G Rohini and justice Jayant Nath issued notices on the petition, which also sought the quashing of a January 1998 agreement between the Delhi government and Noida to facilitate construction of a bridge between Maharani Bagh in South Delhi and the Okhla barrage in Noida.

In the PIL, the confederation of NCR residents’ welfare association claimed that the Noida Toll Bridge Project Company Ltd (NTBPCL) has already collected more money than the construction costs. The financial statements are deliberately being kept out of the public domain by NTBPCL and Noida was maintaining its silence in “apparent collusion”, the petition said.

The plea said the DND Flyway was constructed pursuant to the concession agreement of November 12, 1997 between Noida, Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd and NTBPCL.

The petition urged the court to quash an April 1992 memorandum of understanding in this regard, the November 1997 concession agreement, the January 1998 support agreement and all other consequential grants and permissions.

The petition also sought direction regarding steps to be taken for recovery of the money that was illegally siphoned.