Toll policy: HC warns contempt action against PWD officials

Expressing displeasure over Maharashtra government's failure to form a policy to monitor toll collection across the state despite an order four months back, the Bombay High Court today warned contempt action against officials of the Public Works Department (PWD).
The High Court had on March 6 this year directed the government to formulate a policy to monitor toll collection and if the project work has been completed before contractors start collecting toll from commuters.
The direction was passed in a public interest litigation challenging toll collection despite incomplete roads.
A division bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and S C Gupte was today informed that no step has been taken till date towards formulation of a policy.

"It has been almost four months. This is a policy paralysed situation. Why is the state government not taking any decision and expecting the high court to look into it all the time? We are distressed with the casual manner in which the issue is being handled by the government," Justice Chandrachud said.
The court said it was contemplating initiation of contempt action against the erring officials.
The bench has directed the Chief Secretary of the government and the Principal Secretary of PWD to hold a meeting within two weeks and frame a policy within three months.
"The entire situation is going unsupervised leading commuters facing hardships. If people pay huge amount of toll only to drive on bad roads then they are bound to take law in their own hands. They are losing patience," the court said.