NHAI facing loss of Rs.1.8 cr/day owing to non-functional toll plazas amid farmer protests

The stir against the farm laws which commenced at the Delhi borders from end of November 2020 is causing a substantial financial loss, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha. In response to an unstarred question by Lok Sabha MP PC Gaddigoudar, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari stated that some of the public funded toll plazas are non-operational owing to the farm protests. According to him, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is facing a loss of nearly 1.8 crore every day as it has been unable to collect user fee at the affected public funded toll plazas. 

Read: 'Ties With India Most Imp Of This Century': UK Govt Upholds Farm Row As India's Business

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari responded, "Due to farmers protest, some of the fee plazas are nonoperational, thereby NHAI is unable to collect user fee from the road users. In case of public funded fee plazas, an estimated remittance loss is approximately 1.8 cr per day." 

Read: US Actor Mary Millben Calls Rihanna Gang's Posts 'uneducated'; Touts PM & The Indian Dream

Read: After Anurag Thakur, Harsh Vardhan Schools Rahul Gandhi Over LS Speech On Farm Laws

Impasse over farm laws

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 aims at freeing the farmers from the constraints of the state Agriculture Produce Market Committees whereby they would be able to sell their produce anywhere. Meanwhile, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 protects and empowers farmers to engage with processors, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters for farm services. This entails the provision of contract farming. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 specifies that the supply of foodstuffs including cereals, pulses, potato, edible oilseeds, and oils shall be regulated only under exceptional circumstances.

At present, the talks between the Union government and the farmers' unions have come to a standstill. This is owing to the fact that farm associations refused to agree to the Centre's proposal for suspending the implementation of the aforesaid legislation for one and a half years. While the last round of talks lasted for nearly 5 hours, the farmers claimed that the two sides sat face-to-face for less than 30 minutes. The divide between the two sides further exacerbated on January 26 after the farmers' tractor rally turned violent resulting in 510 Delhi police personnel getting injured and extensive damage to public property.

Read: Nitish Kumar Meets PM Modi, Says 'farm Laws In The Interest Of Farmers'