Supreme Court Allows Toll Collection on Madurai-Tuticorin Stretch

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Madras High Court order that had barred the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) from collecting toll on the Madurai-Tuticorin National Highway. The apex court's interim relief came while admitting a special leave petition (SLP) filed by the NHAI challenging the High Court’s directive.

A bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan issued notice to V. Balakrishnan, a retired assistant executive engineer with the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation from Tuticorin district, whose plea had prompted the Madras High Court to issue the toll ban order on June 3. The Supreme Court said it would examine the matter in detail at a later stage and directed all parties to complete their pleadings.

Opposing the stay, senior advocate P. Wilson, appearing for the respondent, described the toll collection as “daylight robbery,” arguing that the highway remained in poor condition and did not meet the required maintenance standards.

Earlier, the Madras High Court had ruled that toll fees on the Madurai-Tuticorin highway could not be collected until the road was re-laid or brought up to the standards prescribed by the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988. The High Court emphasized that road users are entitled to quality infrastructure and should not be charged unless the road conditions justify the toll fees.

The division bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and A.D. Maria Clete had also clarified that once the road is restored to acceptable standards, NHAI would be permitted to resume toll collection. The court had noted that the maintenance contract for the highway was terminated on March 17 last year after the contractor failed to meet NHAI’s quality benchmarks.