In a major relief to commuters, Goa Chief Minister, Digamber Kamat, said that two and three wheelers will be exempted from paying the toll once national highway is expanded in the state.
“National highway authority of India (NHAI) officials have said that two and three-wheelers would be exempted from paying the tax on national highway after its expansion,” Mr. Kamat told reporters.
Talking to reporters after chairing House committee meeting on the issue, Mr. Kamat said that exemption will be a great relief for the people who were worried that they will have to pay extra to travel after national highway is expanded.
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He said that House committee has also recommended that light motor vehicles registered in Goa should be spared from paying the toll.
NHAI’s project in Goa has hit controversy with several organisations demanding realignment of the road.
The activists also fear that once the project is in place, the road users will have to shell out extra from their pocket to pay.
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Mr. Kamat had initially said that they will ask NHAI to fix toll booths in the radius of 40 kms as against the usual norm of having them after every 20 kms.
The chief minister on Tuesday said that the issue of fixing the booths at every 40 kms does not arise as people will now not be burdened with the toll.
Anti-National highway expansion activists, in past, had accused Mr. Kamat of playing fraud on Goans. They had said that the land was being illogically acquired by the government for the project.
National highway diversion action committee (NHDAC) had even held street protests and public rallies demanding scrapping of the current alignment.