Blood may be thicker than water except in certain special circumstances, like politics. Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray and his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray, leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) are at loggerheads once again.
Just when some observers thought that the cousins were beginning to sink their differences to keep alive the memory of their father and uncle Balasaheb Thackeray and even more important, the prospects of General Elections and state assembly polls looming large, daggers are drawn again between the two over the issue of corruption in toll nakas or booths in Maharashtra. Uddhav is peeved with Raj for hijacking their anti-toll plaza agitation which the Shiv Sena had spearheaded in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district with some degree of success.
What has got Uddhav’s goat is the fact that the MNS agitation followed his own and walked away with the honours. Shiv Sena workers vandalised four toll booths in Kolhapur on January 12 to protest against alleged ‘illegal’ toll collection for nine roads in the city; they followed it up with an agitation against toll collection in Kolhapur city and also attacked the office of IRB Infrastructure Developers, a private company, which manages the booths on these nine roads leading to the city.
Even as the Shiv Sena-led anti-toll agitation was hitting headlines and grabbing prime time, MNS workers went one ahead and attacked toll booths in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Pune, Aurangabad, Sangli and Nagpur. It became a race between the two inheritors of the Balasaheb legacy as to who could cause more havoc.
Trouble for toll collectors began after Raj asked his supporters on January 26 at a rally in Navi Mumbai to ensure that no tax is charged at any toll naka across the state. “If you get a chance, crush the toll nakas. If there is a traffic jam let it be, let the situation take its own course. Do not bother, just don’t pay toll at any of the toll booths,” Raj said ominously, a signal for the free-for-all to begin.
Incited by his provocative speech, MNS party workers vandalised at least 22 toll booths across the state. More than 40 party workers were arrested after they targeted booths in Mulund, Airoli, Dahisar, Thane and Raigad district. Six hooded vandals attacked the Urse toll plaza on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway at 1.40 am damaging six booths, smashing glass panes and two computer monitors. Similar attacks were witnessed in Pune, Nashik, Solapur and on the outskirts of Nagpur.
The state police has registered a case against Raj Thackeray and offences have been lodged against him under sections 153, 504, 505 (1) (b) and 117 of the Indian Penal Code and section 135 of Maharashtra Police Act, all charges relating to rioting, threat and public intimidation.
Uddhav lashed out at his cousin and MNS by branding their agitation as a gimmick in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’. Without naming Raj, Uddhav in the editorial said some people had suddenly woken up to the issue of corruption in toll collection. “In Kolhapur, the Shiv Sena agitation against toll was a success with the support of locals. But, when one hears of vandalisation of toll nakas in Mumbai, Thane and Pune under the cover of darkness, we should understand that those who were sleeping all the while on issues concerning the common man, have suddenly woken up and started their poll campaign,” he ranted. For good measure he added: “You need political insight and will to do that…this government has none.”
Admitting that toll was introduced by the previous Sena-BJP government, Uddhav said, “Because of the tolls, the six-lane Pune-Mumbai Expressway came up. People happily paid for it because of the comfort of travelling. There are no potholes. But can you say the same thing for roads in Kolhapur and Nashik? Why should we pay toll for bad roads?’’
Uddhav also said the ‘politicians-toll companies’ nexus’ has now been exposed and levying of toll has to be scrapped. People of Maharashtra have seen through the falsehood of those who damage toll nakas for political gains and the ‘drama’ will not last long, he predicted.
LOOT OR TOLL NAKA?
The angst against toll plazas is rising
On December 2011, common commuters, farmers and varkaris (devotees who undertake walking pilgrimages) had appealed to the Maharashtra chief minister to take immediate and corrective steps to stop the rampant looting done under the guise of toll collection on various roads across the state.
In a memorandum, the Varkari Sampraday, Grahak Panchayat and Krantivir Prathisthan among others, alleged under reporting, especially of vehicle traffic and toll collected, by toll collection agencies across Maharashtra.
The memorandum said that as per information provided by the MSRDC during 2000 to 2011, toll collection contractors have already recovered the cost for 39 toll booths and the percentage of toll collection to cost was pitched at around 243.4 percent. On an average, the ratio for toll collected so far comes is in the range of 150 percent and 600 percent for each toll booth in four to seven years and according to the tender documents, the contractors will continue to collect the toll tax for another 14 to 22 years. Do figures reveal a tale here?
To be sure, this is not the first time that Raj and his outfit has agitated against toll booths. On January 16, a MNS legislator was among 20 arrested for allegedly vandalising a toll booth in Dombivili township of Thane district. For some time now, MNS has been opposing collection of toll in the state which they say does not provide any amenities or better services to citizens. There are over 170 toll nakas in Maharashtra under the control of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDC), the Public Works Department (PWD) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
A year ago, an RTI query had revealed irregularities in records of collection, expenses, toll exemption data and profits generated at toll plazas on the Pune-Mumbai expressway. While the MSRDC was responsible for this task, it was outsourced to a private operator and the government agency never bothered to audit their figures. It was also revealed that though the amount collected from vehicles was well over the expenditure incurred on e-way construction, toll rates were regularly being hiked despite the ever increasing vehicular traffic.
Of the 170, many toll nakas have already been shut down in the absence of steady cash flow. The MSRDC has closed down 25, while the PWD is considering shutting another 24. Now with a full blooded political agitation aimed at oneupmanship, their future is becoming less and less secure. In July, 2012, opposition parties raised the issue of corruption at nakas and in tendering of contracts for collecting toll. The opposition also alleged that the overall loss to the state exchequer because of corruption in toll collection is to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore.
Even earlier on December 19, 2011, opposition parties alleged in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly that there was massive corruption in toll collection at roads in Mumbai, Thane and Raigad districts. They demanded a statement from the chief minister apart from appointment of a probe committee to examine the charges.
Davendra Phadanvis (BJP) had alleged during question hour that there was corruption to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore in the collection at toll (nakas) by private contractors in Mumbai, Thane and Raigad. As the opposition MLAs entered the well and disrupted proceedings, Speaker Dilip Valse Patil adjourned the house for the rest of the question hour when 28 minutes were left. Such is the antipathy that this issue is raising in the state.
Chief minister Prithviraj Chauhan has issued no categorical statement on the future of these toll plazas even though some infrastructure experts question the future of highway building if toll tax is scrapped in the state. According to one expert, the government has hardly any money to spent. “All over the country, highways and roads are being constructed using this viable PPP model.” Tell that to the warring cousins; it is they who have to understand this.
