Noida admin proposes tax collection at DND toll plaza
The Noida administration has proposed that Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) collect tax from commercial vehicles at the Delhi-Noida-Delhi (DND) Flyway toll plaza in order to reduce traffic congestion. Currently, the MCD uses a makeshift booth 500 metres beyond the toll plaza to collect the tax. The plaza was shut after the toll was discontinued by the Allahabad High Court.
To reduce traffic congestion on the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) Flyway, the district administration has proposed that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) collect tax from commercial vehicles at the toll plaza on two lanes to the extreme left of the plaza.Officials said that the step has been taken to ensure that commuters do not suffer from long snarls during the peak hours, especially in evening. Officials said that the jams are caused due to the collection of tax by MCD from commercial vehicles 500 metres after the toll plaza.Earlier, MCD collected tax at the booths of the toll plaza through a concessionaire. However, the practice was discontinued after the Allahabad high court abolished toll collection on the flyway from October 26, 2016, following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Federation of Noida Residents? Welfare Association, a residents? body.The district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar, BN Singh, said, ?MCD is collecting taxes in accordance with the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957. It has set up a makeshift booth on the flyway for the purpose, where commercial vehicles halt and lead to lining up of other vehicles. A proposal in this regard has been forwarded to the Noida authority for its approval.?Singh said that after a clearance from the Noida authority, MCD will be asked to collect taxes from commercial vehicles on the two lanes specified for the purpose. The chairman of the Noida authority, Alok Sinha, has already agreed to the proposal.However, sources said that the chief legal advisor of the Noida authority has raised objections to the proposal, on the basis that booths cannot be handed over to MCD as the area comes under Uttar Pradesh and MCD cannot be made a party to it.According to the source, the legal advisor also cited the court order that no tax should be collected at the DND toll plaza.Commenting on the objections, the district magistrate said, ?The court order does not pertain to this move. It is in the larger interest of the public and I will take necessary steps for implementing it. I will ensure that the proposal is approved.?Meanwhile, the chairman of the Noida authority Alok Sinha welcomed the proposal of the district magistrate to ease the traffic problem. ?The matter has been taken into consideration and the authority has to check all legal aspects in this case. It is being reviewed by the legal team,? Sinha said.