Setback for Punjab water resources department officers as NHAI outrightly rejects their demand
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ June 24,2023
Principal secretary water sources, Punjab govt had written a letter to the regional officer, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Panchkula (looking after the Punjab area) on June 8,2023 to give relief, exemption from toll charges to the Executive Engineers/SDOs/JEs/Patwari/Ziledar/Deputy Collector of Water Resources Department.
The principal secretary said, “that in order to perform their duties Punjab water resources department officials need to travel for field work and court duty. They need to pay toll fee on the toll plazas which puts an additional financial burden on them while doing government duty. Therefore, it is requested that directions may be issued to the charge toll fee to Executive competent toll authority Engineers/SDOs/JEs/Patwari/Ziledar/Deputy Collector of the Water Resources Department travelling on duty as these officials are required to cross the toll plazas as part of their official duty.”
Rejecting the demand, the regional officer, national highways authority of India (NHAI), Panchkula (looking after the Punjab area) in his letter dated June 22,2023 to the Principal Secretary Water sources, Punjab govt, said “ in this connection, kind attention is drawn towards NH fee Rules 2008, para 11 of which is regarding the exemption of payment of fee. It is to appraise that category of the officers / officials of Water Resources Department does not fall in the list of dignitaries , officers etc prescribed in para 11 of the NH Fee Rules 2008 and thus request of your good office for exemption of user fee to officers / officials of Water Resources Department, Govt. of Punjab cannot be acceded too.”
Setback for Punjab water resources department officers as NHAI outrightly rejects their demand, on this an officer of water resources department on the condition of anonymity said ” as we have offices in pan Punjab.On all main roads, national highways, toll plazas are their. As our job requires travelling from one place to other, every time we have to pay toll tax at these NHAI tolls. Its an additional expenditure on state govt. The Punjab govt must take this issue with higher authorities of NHAI. It will save lacs of govt expenditure, annually.”
