Do away with toll taxes on National Highways, Bhupinder Singh Hooda urges Narendra Modi

KAITHAL: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today appealed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to do away with the policy of charging toll tax on National Highways, saying that "high" toll charges at frequent intervals cause inconvenience to the travellers.

Hooda suggested that the government should have a uniform rate of toll tax which should be charged at the time of purchase of vehicle or on its registration.

The chief minister was addressing a function during foundation laying ceremony of four-laning of 166-km Kaithal-Siwani National Highway up to Rajasthan border.

Hooda also urged the Prime Minister to ensure four-laning of some other highways including 95-km long Ambala-Kaithal stretch of NH 152, 68-km stretch of NH 352 from Jind-Narwana to Punjab border, NH 7 and 104-km long Yamuna Nagar-Panchkula stretch of NH 344.

He also urged the PM that the incomplete portion of National Highway Number 1, between Panipat and Jalandhar, be completed expeditiously.

Hooda said that till the completion of Panipat-Jalandhar portion of the road, no toll be charged.

The Chief Minister also urged Modi that the 90-km stretch of state highway number 11 from Punjab to Panipat via Kaithal-Rajound-Assandh-Safidon be declared as National Highway.

It will provide an alternative highway for National Highway 1 connecting Delhi with Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, he said.