Guwahati, Aug 31 (PTI) A day after a fatal accident occurred on NH 27 in Assam, senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia on Monday wrote to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, seeking suspension of toll collection in the state and a comprehensive audit of all roads where levies are collected from vehicle owners.
The former leader of the opposition in the Assam assembly referred to the minibus-truck collision at Sonapur in Kamrup Metropolitan district, which left seven people dead, and said it was a tragic example of the danger faced by road users.
“…this is not an isolated case. Reports from other toll stretches in Assam also show pothole-ridden surfaces, poor upkeep, and repeated accidents, even while tolls continue to be collected,” Saikia said.
The public is being asked to pay toll for roads that are “unsafe and in poor condition”, which is “inconsistent with the purpose of toll collection and the principle recognised by courts that toll should not be charged for roads that are not properly maintained, the Congress leader pointed out in the letter.
Saikia sought the central minister’s urgent intervention for immediate suspension of toll collection in Assam until the roads are repaired and certified motorable.
He also demanded an “independent safety and maintenance audit” of all toll plazas and roads under toll collection in Assam, and a detailed inquiry into maintenance failures, recurring accidents and contractual lapses involving NHAI, concessionaires and independent engineers.
Saikia also sought compensation and immediate relief for families of the deceased and injured in Sonapur and other accident cases on toll roads, and publication of a corrective action plan with timelines, responsibility allocation and public disclosure of compliance.
“The situation in Assam requires not a piecemeal response but a statewide corrective intervention in the interest of public safety and administrative accountability,” he added.
The Congress leader emphasised that the Sonapur crash is cited only as one example of a wider pattern, as similar accidents and poor road conditions have been reported from other toll stretches in Assam, which justifies a statewide suspension of toll collection and a comprehensive audit of all such roads.
The toll in the head-on collision between a truck and a minibus in Assam’s Kamrup Metropolitan district rose to seven as three more people succumbed to their injuries, police said on Monday.
The accident took place on National Highway 27 at Tetelia near Sonapur on Sunday evening, killing four people on the spot.
According to Guwahati Police Additional Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) Safiqul Hussain, the minibus was travelling towards Guwahati, and the truck was moving in the opposite direction.
“Suddenly, the driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle, jumped the divider and hit the truck in the other lane. The bus driver allegedly lost control after the vehicle fell into a large pothole in the middle of the road. We are examining the claim,” he added. PTI TR TR BDC
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