MP News: Bhopal Bypass Built For ₹242cr, Govt Earns ₹270cr; Contractor Pockets Hundreds Of Crore

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The 52-km Bhopal bypass on National Highway 12, built at a cost of Rs 242 crore, has earned the state government Rs 270.29 crore in toll revenue over six years, PWD Minister Rakesh Singh told Assembly on Friday in a written reply.

MLA Pratap Grewal had asked about revenue and contractor earnings from the road. Singh said the company that built the bypass in 2013 also earned substantial sums, manipulating screw accounts to underreport daily toll collections, which were estimated at Rs 10.5 lakh per day.

As a result, the government suspended the contract on December 11, 2019, and resumed toll collection the next day. Between March 26, 2013 and December 11, 2019, the contractor reportedly collected Rs 150 crore.

Grewal said that when the government didnot invest even one rupee inthe bypass construction, under what circumstances is it collectingtoll. It should immediately stop collecting toll.

He said that despite collecting toll continuously for six years, thegovernment did nothing to maintain the 52-kilometer-long bypass,resulting in collapse of its bridge.