I have come to know that from April 1st, the tax collected by the central government through 32 toll gates belonging to NHAI in Telangana state is going to be increased again.
Let me inform you that the toll tax that you are already collecting has become a heavy burden on the people of Telangana. If the toll tax rates are increased again, it will be like “falling a palm fruit on a barking fox”.
In the year 2014, 600 crores of toll tax was collected in the entire state of Telangana. It means that the toll tax collection has been increased by 300% during these 9 years. This increase in toll tax has increased the prices of essential goods supplied by trucks. Common bus fares have increased. This has made the life of the middle class people very burdensome.
If so…
Kishan Reddy, the only Union Minister from Telangana, and many BJP leaders are often making misleading statements that the Centre has spent lakhs of crores on national highways. If the approvals for national highways in Telangana state are like a mountain on paper…the expenditure is very small.
From 2014 to till date, the centre has sanctioned on paper a total of Rs. 1,25,176 crores for 113 NH projects and CRIF works in Telangana state. However, the Centre spent only Rs. 20,350 crore only in the last 9 years.
However, the National Highways Corporation has collected Rs. 9000 crores of toll in the state of Telangana through toll tax in the last 9 years. It means that half of the money spent by the central government has already been collected from the people of Telangana through toll tax.
Apart from that, how many crores has the centre collected from the people of Telangana state in these 9 years by increasing the prices of petrol and diesel and in the name of additional road cesses on petrol and diesel? I think it is necessary for you to account to the people of Telangana state where that money is going.
So..It would be better if you convey these facts through the Central Surface Transport Department to the state BJP leaders who are repeatedly spreading lies that the central government has spent lakhs of crores in Telangana for national highways. It is also your responsibility to advise them to refrain from the lies and false speeches that they forcefully instill in the people.
On behalf of the four crore people of Telangana, I am appealing to the the central government to change it’s attitude of harassing the common people by raising toll tax, charging cess on petrol diesel.
I am demanding that you immediately roll back the decision to hike toll tax rates from April 1st.
