Ballabgarh-Sohna highway in bad shape
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service
Faridabad, August 24
The Ballabgarh and Sohna state highway in Gurugram district is in bad shape since two years. Despite toll charges are being collected, the commuters are still on the receiving ends.
PASSING THE BUCK
Bal Kishan Prasad, Manager of the Gurgaon-Faridabad Toll Road Private Limited (GFTR) collecting the toll, blamed the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF), as he said the road was dug up for laying a sewage line in 2018, but has not been repaired as per the agreement.
“Since mid 2018, neither the toll operator nor the civic authorities have repaired the road despite the fact that daily toll charges of several lakhs are collected,” claimed Umesh Kumar Sharma, a commuter.
He said a patch of several kilometers between the railway bridge flyover in Ballabgarh and Pali village had been lying in a dilapidated condition due to potholes and was ignored despite repeated complaints.
Jitender Bhadana, another resident, said half a dozen rough patches on this highway made the journey rickety till Sohna, but the authorities concerned had failed to either repair the damaged portion or stop toll collection.
Claiming that a stretch of 10 kilometres in the Ballabgarh area had become non-motorable, said it was perhaps the first instance in the state or region where toll was being collected for a damaged road. “Travelling here is dangerous as the road turns into a slush pool after every downpour,” he said.
The highway built on build-operate-transfer basis was opened in 2012 and is claimed to be the second busiest road in the district after the National Highway-19 (Delhi-Agra) in view of traffic movement.
Toll varies from Rs 25 to Rs 300 per vehicle for one way, depending upon the type of vehicle. The monthly charge is between Rs 500 and Rs 9,000.
While MLA from NIT Assembly segment Neeraj Sharma had written to suspend the toll collection till it was repaired, Bal Kishan Prasad, manager of the Gurgaon-Faridabad Toll Road Private Limited, collecting the toll, blamed the municipal corporation Faridabad as the road was dug up for laying a sewerage in 2018, but had not been repaired as per the agreement.
He said the company had informed the authorities concerned, including the DC and Municipal Commissioner. “We will take up the repairs of the road soon,” said Birender Kardam, Superintending Engineer, MC, adding that laying of the second underground line had delayed the repairs.
