Toll Gates, No Roads: APCC Chief Writes to Gadkari Over Assam’s Highway Mess

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi has written to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, highlighting the “deplorable” condition of national highways in Assam even as tolls continue to be collected at multiple plazas across the state.

In his letter dated August 22, Gogoi pointed out that key stretches of NH-27 and NH-37 remain riddled with deep potholes, uneven surfaces, and frequent waterlogging, causing severe delays and endangering commuters. He particularly mentioned the toll plazas between Sonapur–Raha and Baihata Chariali (Madanpur)–Nalbari (Galia toll plaza), where reports from Jagiroad, Raha, and Bajali have flagged accidents and prolonged travel times.

“Despite collecting tolls, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has failed to maintain these roads. Citizens are compelled to pay while risking their lives and damaging their vehicles,” Gogoi stated, stressing that growing resentment has already sparked public protests in Bhawanipur near Galia toll plaza and in Upper Assam.

The MP further noted that truckers and transporters—integral to Assam’s agrarian economy—are facing unsustainable costs due to repeated toll payments, which in turn inflate the prices of essential commodities and aggravate the financial burden on households.

Citing a recent Supreme Court ruling that criticized toll collection on poorly maintained highways, Gogoi reminded Gadkari that citizens “cannot be compelled to pay tolls for navigating gutters and potholes, symbols of inefficiency.” He urged the Union Ministry to take immediate steps in line with the Court’s observations, which had previously led to the suspension of tolls on NH-544 in Kerala.

The Congress leader made three specific demands in his letter:

1. Suspend toll collection at the identified plazas until roads are repaired and certified motorable.

2. Expedite maintenance works, especially pothole filling and drainage in stretches across Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, and Jorhat.

3. Conduct an audit of all NHAI toll plazas in Assam to ensure compliance with maintenance standards.

Gogoi emphasized that he had raised similar concerns in the past regarding NH-37, but the situation has only worsened. “The issue is eroding public trust and worsening economic hardships of citizens already grappling with inflation and unemployment,” he wrote, while urging Gadkari for urgent intervention.

The letter has come at a time when anger over road conditions and toll collection is rising across Assam, with frequent blockades and protests by local residents and transport unions.

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