The Calcutta High Court has directed Durgapur Municipal Corporation (DMC) to shut down all the seven toll plazas which were operational, terming them as illegal. Since the past few years these seven toll plazas were operated by Durgapur Municipal Corporation (DMC) for heavy vehicles entering into places like Haneman Sarani, Kanjilal Sarani, Nachan Road, PCBL Road, Bonoful Road, Shyampur Road, Naser Avenue etc.

From these seven toll plazas DMC used to collect over Rs 10 crore toll annually, which was spent for developmental activities in the 43 wards under the civic body.

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The Durgapur Small Scale Industries Association has been repeatedly urging the civic body to withdraw the toll plaza, but no steps were taken until it moved Calcutta High Court. Ratan Agarwal, general secretary of Durgapur Small Scale Industry Association, filed a case at Calcutta High Court in November 2023 on this issue.

The Calcutta High Court has observed on 10 January that the Durgapur Municipal Corporation has not taken any prior permission or sanction from the state urban development and municipal affairs department before starting operations of these toll plazas and terming them illegal.

Anindita Mukherjee, chairperson of the Board of Administrators (BoA) of Durgapur Municipal Corporation said that the civic body has already followed the high court order and has shut down all the seven toll plazas.

“We will now prepare a fresh proposal and will send it to the state government seeking their sanction,” added Ms Mukherjee.

The DMC used to collect Rs 150 per dumper, trucks, tourist bus, lorry, small pick-up vans etc. and Rs 200 for six wheelers and Rs 300 for seven wheelers from these seven toll plazas. From Wednesday all these seven toll plazas have been closed.