No road construction possible if toll collection stopped: CM

A day before the workers of Raj Thackeray-led MNS vandalised toll booths at various places in the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had said that if toll collection was stopped, construction of new roads would come to halt.

Admitting that there could be manipulations in bidding process and calculation of toll amount, Chavan yesterday stressed the need for a regulatory authority.

"Since no public hearing is taking place and also the whole process of toll is not transparent, there is some anger among the people. (But) If toll is not collected, highways will not be built. There should be a regulatory authority," Chavan said, talking to reporters here late last evening.

Talking about the Kolhapur toll issue where locals are opposed to toll collection at entry points on the city's outskirts, Chavan said as per the agreement, if the company collecting the toll faces any difficulty, the government has to compensate it, and the government does not have the money.

"No construction of roads would take place. The entire process will stop," he said.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers today went on a rampage, vandalising toll plazas in various places, following Thackeray's diktat not to pay the toll and "thrash" those who protest it.