Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare has asked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to stop toll collection at Kharpada on the Mumbai-Goa Highway before the Ganeshotsav travel period, arguing that the highway’s widening work remains incomplete.
The request comes 12 days before Ganeshotsav, when a large number of vehicles travel from Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra towards the Konkan region. According to a report by Loksatta – Mumbai, preparations are under way to start toll operations at Kharpada in Raigad district, even though several sections of the highway’s four-laning project are still unfinished.
Tatkare has reportedly opposed toll collection until the highway work is completed. Her letter to the chief minister says motorists should not face an additional financial burden while travelling on a road where construction-related traffic difficulties continue, particularly during the festival period.
The Mumbai-Goa Highway’s four-laning project has been delayed for about 17 years, with work on different stretches yet to be completed. Traffic problems remain at multiple locations. Seasonal vehicle volumes increase substantially during Ganeshotsav, raising the possibility of congestion on the route.
Moves to begin toll collection at Kharpada and Sukeli could affect motorists travelling on the Palaspe-Indapur stretch. If toll collection begins there, people travelling to the Konkan for the festival may have to pay an additional charge while using a route that remains under development.
The report said Bharata Gogawale took charge as Raigad’s guardian minister after August 15, but no firm position from him on the Kharpada toll plaza has emerged so far. Tatkare has instead made the request directly to the chief minister. The government’s decision on the demand, as well as any confirmed toll commencement date, was not stated in the report.
