Questioning the installation of toll plazas in an arbitrary manner on highways in Rajasthan, a division bench of the Rajasthan high court has issued a show cause notice to the State government and Union government and the National Highways Authority of India, to explain as to why the toll plazas are installed like that and also why toll rates are being increased arbitrarily.    

A bench of Chief Justice Arun Kumar Mishra and Justice Meena V Gomber has given 15 days time to the parties concerned to file their replies.    

The high court also asked the authorities to explain why the financial model developed by the NHAI provides a huge concession period for charging a very high and excessive rate of toll tax from general public despite the fact that the capital cost of the project is usually realised within a period of 3 to 7 years.    

The court also asked why no efforts are being made by the NHAI to assess whether such a huge concession period of 20 to 30 years is required or not. The order came on a PIL filed by a retired judge, Justice R S Verma and two others.