Private Tolls Allowed On State Highways As MP Passes Highways Amendment Bill

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday passed the Madhya Pradesh Highways (Amendment) Bill, 2026, allowing the state government to notify roads as state highways and levy toll charges on commuters for their use.

Under the amended law, the government can develop highways either on its own or through private contractors. Contractors investing in road construction will be allowed to recover their costs by collecting toll from road users.

The Bill triggered sharp criticism from the Opposition. Congress MLA Abhay Mishra alleged that the amendment was intended to benefit large contractors at the expense of the public.

He said the government would identify roads, hand them over to private firms for construction and permit them to collect toll, increasing the financial burden on commuters.

Replying to the debate, Public Works Department minister Rakesh Singh defended the amendment, calling it a small but significant reform. He said the existing law dated back to 1891, when roads were primarily used by bullock carts and the British administration collected money for road construction.

Singh said the amendment would facilitate the construction of high-speed corridors, green corridors and other highways through private investment, enabling faster expansion of the state's road infrastructure without placing the entire financial burden on the government.