By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Wednesday refused to pass any order on a plea challenging the toll tax for daily commuters on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway after the government said it had powers to impose charges.
The division bench of Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice S. Murlaidhar expressed its inability to intervene in the matter after a policy decision taken by the government, but said it would hear arguments on the next date of hearing on the limited issue of whether there is any law which does not empower the government to levy such a tax.
Counsel appearing on behalf of the central government countered the petitioner’s contention that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) could not force daily commuters on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway to pay a toll tax without providing alternative roads to them.
“Those who don’t want to use the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway can use the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road to travel daily,” counsel argued and added that the government had the power under the NHAI Act to levy toll tax on the road users.
The court was hearing a public interest petition challenging the toll tax for daily commuters for using the expressway.