India, July 17 -- Congress leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday criticised the "recent hike" in toll charges in the state, alleging that the BJP government was "looting" people by increasing toll rates. Hooda said toll charges at plazas in Karnal, Kurukshetra, Hisar, Panipat and Jhajjar had been increased, adding to the burden on motorists already grappling with high fuel costs and taxes. "Rates have been hiked for the second time in three months at all toll plazas, including the Thana toll plaza on the Hisar-Chandigarh National Highway. At the Ramayan toll plaza in Hisar, rates for cars, buses, trucks and commercial vehicles have been increased by Rs 5 to Rs 30," he said.
The Leader of the Opposition claimed that travelling within and outside Haryana had become more expensive and alleged that the state records the highest toll collection in the country. Citing figures shared by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in the Lok Sabha, Hooda said toll collection in Haryana increased by Rs 368.57 crore in October 2025 compared to the previous year, while Gujarat witnessed a decline of Rs 1,928.57 crore during the same period. He further claimed that Haryana's per capita toll collection stood at Rs 917.1, the highest in the country, and that annual toll collection per kilometre was Rs 0.69 crore.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.