NAGPUR: The 139-km stretch of Nagpur-Hyderabad-Bengaluru national highway is likely to be part of the National Monetization Pipeline (NMP), announced by the Centre recently. The stretch will be from Borkhedi toll plaza to Telangana border, say sources in National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Union minister for finance and corporate affairs Nirmala Sitharaman had on Monday unveiled asset monetisation pipeline of central ministries and public sector. Roads are one of the sectors which will be part of the NMP, under which government will be transferring revenue rights to private parties in return for upfront money.
The NHAI had converted the national highway stretch from Butibori to Telangana border into four-lane between 2012 and 2018. Borkhedi toll plaza is situated around 35km from city on Chandrapur road. At Jamb, the national highway separates to go towards Hinganghat and one arm goes to Chandrapur. The highway further passes through Pandharkawda and Kelapur before entering Adilabad district in Telangana.
The NHAI regional office has suggested the stretch as it is the most used road in the division. For a light vehicle, one has to pay Rs135 toll at Borkhedi. There is another toll booth at Daroda, after Hinganghat. Toll charge for a light vehicle is Rs90 at Daroda. Third toll plaza is at Kelapur in Yavatmal district, where Rs90 is charged for every light vehicle.
The NHAI had four-laned the road using central funds and is recovering the expenditure through toll.
The NHAI official said, “Private agency will be given the stretch on lease for four years, which may be extended. The private player will give revenue to the government in advance and recover it and also maintenance cost through toll.”
The NHAI officials are not sure whether toll charge will go up after the monetisation. But if the toll is increased, it will be a double whammy for people travelling from Nagpur to Jamb, Warora, Chandrapur, Ballarpur or the other way round. People going to these towns leave the national highway at Jamb, yet they have to pay the toll at Borkhedi.
The NHAI is recovering toll at Borkhedi for development of Outer Ring Road in Nagpur. The private company manning the toll plaza is responsible for maintenance of the stretch from city to Borkhedi.
The official said roads developed using central funds are being selected in the NMP. “Roads built or widened under build-operate-and-transfer (BoT) and those under private companies are not part of the NMP. There are other roads in and around district which are eligible for NMP like Saoner-Kalmeshwar-Amravati and Nagpur-Umred.”
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