Thrissur: Despite being only 60 km apart, there is no plan to stop toll plazas at Paliyekkara and Panniyankara in Thrissur districts, said the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
The nodal agency to develop and maintain national highways in the country gave the clarrification as a reply to an RTI query posed by KPCC secretary Shaju Kodankathu.
His query was on the legality on maintianing separate toll plazas in the same district within a distance of 60 kilometres.
In its reply, NHAI said there was no legal hurdle as the two plazas are functioning based on two different BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) contracts.
It's a four-lane stretch Between Mannuthi in Thrissur and Edappally in Ernakulam, while Manutthi to Wadakkancherry (both in Thrissur district), it is a six-lane stretch. NHAI said the toll plazas were set up based on the laws passed by the Central government in 1996 and 2008, respectively.
Paliyekkara toll plaza functions based on the contract in 2006 and the Central notification issued on 20 June 2011.
The contracted company has the right to collect toll till 2028.
As for the Panniyankara toll, it is functioning based on the contract in 2009 and the Central notification issued on 13 June 2013.
NHAI clarrified that both the tolls function as per laws and there is no plan to change the existing system. The law only stipulates special permission for two plazas functioning within 60-km.