Economic
Times: New Delhi: Monday, 23 March 2015.
An RTI
application from a citizen helped National Highway Authority of India to detect
overcharging of toll on a Bangalore toll plaza resulting in recovery of Rs 1.87
crore.
The applicant
P A Burge, in his application, stated that he wants to know the reasons for
which the user fee was being charged at Rs 20 and Rs 40 whereas it should have
been Rs 15 and Rs 35 respectively.
Soon after
his RTI application landed in the NHAI offices, a surprise check was carried
out Hattargi user fee plaza which showed the commuters were indeed charged
extra.
"The
respondent stated that the issue of imposing penalty for excess collection toll
fee by toll collecting agency has been taken up with NHAI Headquarters and an
amount of Rs 1.827 crore has been recovered for the same. The excess amount of
toll fee collected by the agency has also been refunded to NHAI by the toll
collecting agency," Information CommissionerYashovardhan Azad noted in his
order.
He said the
fact that the appellant's RTI application made the officials of the NHAI to
investigate into the matter and to stop the excess collection of user fee from
passengers, is commendable.
"This
not only led to the recovery of the amount of 1.827 crore along with interest
to the NHAI but notice boards came up on all toll booths, displaying that the
excess user fee of Rs 5 can be collected by the passengers, after producing
proof of identification and excess fee charged," he said.
Azad said the
Commission, therefore, appreciates the fact that the complainant has raised a
very pertinent and an important issue involving public interest through his RTI
application, which has been promptly redressed by the public authority.
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