By IANS,
Mumbai : The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has approved a proposal to modernise, computerise and integrate 22 inter-state border checkposts that will garner additional revenue of Rs.20 billion per annum.
“The work will start from October and will be completed by March 2010. Among other benefits, the project will help curb leakages of revenue and arrest illegal transport activities,” Public Works Department-Public Undertakings Minister Anil Deshmukh told IANS here Saturday.
The project, estimated to cost Rs.12 billion, is being implemented on a build, operate, transfer (BOT) basis by the transport, excise and sales tax departments, he said.
Presently, the revenue netted from the checkposts, bordering six states – Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa – stands at around Rs.250 billion per annum, Deshmukh said.
MSRDC has appointed S.K. Integrated Consultants for planning the project, while it will be operated on BOT basis by a consortium of Sadbhav Engg-SREI and SREI-Sahaj, according to an official from the ministry.
The modernised checkposts would also ensure that overloading of vehicles is stopped to increase the life of roads, contribute to safety on highways, and prohibit transport of inflammable and objectionable goods.
“Vehicles detected to be overloaded shall be penalised and ordered to unload the extra load since even the transport department (which oversees this aspect) will be under the same roof,” the official explained.
The facilities provided at all these checkposts would include concrete roads, office and residential premises for the staff manning these checkposts, rest rooms, eateries, medical stores, water supply, sewerage disposal, electrification, landscaping and general services for vehicles.
Connected to the central control room in Mumbai, each checkpost would have CCTVs for security purposes and electronic weigh bridges. Complete data on all vehicles passing through the checkposts would also be maintained.
Deshmukh said that he had written to several chief ministers offering technical know-how and expertise to implement similar projects to boost revenue earnings of their respective states.