Timsy Jaipuria | New Delhi
SUMMARY The ministry, official sources said, has forwarded these complaints to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for necessary action
While the legal battle over the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway continues between the government, lender IDFC and the developer DS Constructions, the ministry of road transport and highways has received several complaints from commuters alleging that the developer is issuing blank toll receipts. The ministry, official sources said, has forwarded these complaints to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for necessary action.The NHAI in March had issued a showcause notice to DSC for not depositing the entire toll collected in the escrow account as required. “The ministry has received numerous complaints regarding people getting blank toll receipts at the Gurgaon toll plaza and such a matter needs to be looked in and investigated,” the ministry told the NHAI in a letter written by joint secretary (highways) Rohit Kumar Singh.
The matter came to light in April and the roads ministry has taken up the issue with the authority more than once. It, sources said, also attached one of the blank toll receipts it got from a complainant with the latest letter, asking the authority to inquire and find out the genesis of such blank toll receipts. The ministry asked the authority to take up the issue with the concessionaire, saying it is a clear violation of the concession agreement signed between the authority and the developer.
NHAI’s March notice to DCS said: “In the last several days, the revenue collection is falling and the NHAI feels that the concessionaire is diverting the toll revenue instead of depositing it into the escrow account.”
The authority also added that the concessionaire was also not promoting electronic tolling and monthly passes to the benefit of local traffic. With the increasing number of complaints, the government has made up its mind that it no longer wants the current developer to run the expressway.
Road transport minister Oscar Fernandez last week said that the government would make a concerted plea in the Delhi high court for an early decision.
The decision for joint representation by all wings of the central government and the Haryana government was taken in a high-level meeting between Fernandez, state CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, DSC and senior officials of the road ministry.
DS Constructions chief HS Narula is understood to have told the minister that the company is not interested in going for an out-of-the-court settlement.
A senior road ministry official privy to the meeting said the government also told the concessionaire that it had not met the MoU conditions signed last year but the concessionaire dismissed the charges, adding the government had not cooperated with it.
The issue is in the court since last two years now.
“We want an early decision because the public is suffering because of the delay in the decision and we going to strongly plead our case,” Fernandez said.
FE in an earlier report said the IDFC-led consortium’s R1,600-crore exposure to the expressway project is in trouble because the relevant loan agreement does not empower the lead lender to replace the over-leveraged concessionaire – DSC – even in case of default.
The NHAI had contested the developer changing the lenders (taking much higher amounts of loans) without its consent although these loans were based on the future revenue streams of the expressway project.
Source –http://www.financialexpress.com
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Uncategorized
K M Sree, TNN |
KOZHIKODE: The Motor Vehicle Department has embarked on a fresh mission to ensure public participation in curbing traffic rule violations. Public complaint redressal cells have been opened by officials of the department in addition to the official crackdown on erring vehicles across the state.
The new system, introduced following a directive issued by Transport Commissioner Rishi Raj Singh, enables the public to submit grievances online or directly call on the mobile numbers of officials. Besides, proposals for improving road safety may also be submitted to the redressal cells.Citizens may submit complaints directly to the deputy transport commissioner ([email protected]/ 9447218470) or RTO Kozhikode ([email protected]/ 8547639111). The complainant can also directly approach the Transport Commissioner ([email protected]/ 9446033314) if action is not taken in a month’s time.
“It is not possible to curb road rule violations merely by official vigilance. Public participation is a key element in creating awareness on the need for observing road rules,” said Kozhikode RTO Rajeev Puthalath. The new system, complaint redressal cell has already been set up at Kozhikode, he added.
Information on unfit vehicles especially stage carriage vehicles, excess fare charged by auto-taxi drivers, verbal abuse by private bus crew and all sorts of offences can be reported to the complaint cell. Complainants are requested to give specific information regarding the complaint including the registration number of the vehicle, place of occurrence and other details.
Under the new system, each cell will maintain a complaint register to record the complaint, progress of investigation and action taken. At present, we take action on receiving complaints and settle the issues but register books are not maintained in Regional Transport offices, the official said.
The Motor Vehicle Department has also intensified drive against drunken driving and use of mobile phones. Instead of issuing notice and collecting fines, MVD officials have now taken to suspending the licence of persons found using mobile phones while driving. Drunken drivers also get their licence suspended as part of the strict enforcement of road laws.
While, 313 persons have had their licence suspended for drunken driving in Kozhikode city alone in the past one month, the number of persons who had their driving license suspended for using mobile phone crossed 50 last month.
Apart from the formation of complaint redressal cells we have also decided to intensify drive against the misuse of red number plates for vehicles. “We have found that many vehicles used by semi-government organizations and cooperative institutions have been using red boards for their vehicles and action would be initiated against such vehicles,” the RTO said. A drive to nab such automobiles was launched recently and 10 vehicles were fined for using such red boards illegally, during a three day drive that concluded on Friday, the officials said.
