NHAI Handed Pachgaon Land to Shift Kherki Toll
The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has written to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to take over a piece of land in Pachgaon to shift the Kherki Daula toll plaza, igniting hope among residents of the sectors around the expressway who have for long been demanding this.
GMDA has told the highways authority that all hurdles about the new site had been cleared and only 0.4 acres, which it described as a “insignificant patch” was remaining to be acquired. Officials said the NHAI could begin construction on 30.5 acres, for which a clearance has also been secured from the forest department. The toll plaza at Pachgaon is likely to have 28 lanes, three more than the one at Kherki Daula.
NHAI officials said construction would start after soil testing and they would need at least three months from then to complete the new toll plaza.
The removal of the toll plaza from Kherki Daula was a longstanding demand of the residents of nearby sectors, who often get stuck in the traffic pileup and have to pay a road tax that they say is “irrational”. In August 2017, Union minister Nitin Gadkari had announced that the toll would be shifted after the state government identified land for it. During a recent inspection, Gadkari had said that the entire expressway would be ready by August next year and the toll plaza would be shifted before that. Badshahpur MLA Rakesh Daultabad had tweeted that the toll would be shifted by March 31.
Following a petition in the Punjab and Haryana high court, it had in October 2019 allowed the acquisition of land in Pachgaon for the toll plaza to be shifted. During the course of the land acquisition, seven cases had been filed by the villagers, six of which have been resolved.
“My team and I have been camping in Chandigarh since then. Of the total 40 acres, matters related to four small land parcels were under litigation. One matter is still in court, but that is not an obstacle,” the MLA said.
GMDA officials said that of the 40 acres, the toll plaza could come up on 30.9 acres and the remaining land could be used to build a metro station.
“We had already offered 30.9 acres to NHAI for the construction of the toll plaza with 28 lanes. The design has also been prepared in consultation with NHAI. There were some court restrictions, because of which the land could not be handed over to NHAI physically until now,” an official said.
“All encumbrances on the site have now been cleared, except for an insignificant patch of 0.4 acres. The land parcel of 30.5 acres is now being offered to NHAI for constructing the toll plaza in Pachgaon. We have written to the NHAI chairman to take over the land,” he added.
Source : TOI
