New Delhi, August 13 (HS): Just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled inauguration of the Dwarka Expressway on August 16, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Devendra Yadav has called on the government to grant toll-free passage to residents of Delhi villages whose land was acquired for the project.

In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, Yadav criticised the government over what he termed “unjust and exorbitant” toll charges on the new expressway, which was built at a cost of several hundred crores from public funds. He argued that those who sacrificed their land for the project should be exempt from paying to use it.

The toll structure, Yadav noted, is steep: ₹235 one-way (₹350 return) for Category-1 cars, ₹375 one-way (₹565 return) for Category-2 tempos, ₹860 one-way (₹1,290 return) for Category-3 buses, ₹1,235 one-way (₹1,855 return) for 12-tyre trucks, and ₹1,505 one-way (₹2,260 return) for 16-tyre trucks. He alleged that such rates amount to “unethical profiteering” by private companies, far beyond recovering the project’s actual cost.

Yadav suggested that if cost recovery remains a priority, the government should instead seek contributions from real estate developers who were allotted land near the expressway — rather than burdening villagers whose livelihoods and properties were already impacted by land acquisition.

Highlighting the mobility needs of the local populace, he pointed out that rural residents routinely travel to Gurugram, Jaipur, and other nearby cities, often due to family ties, making toll exemptions a matter of fairness and necessity.

A project built with people’s tax money should not turn into a source of exploitation for those who paid the greatest price — their land, Yadav asserted, urging the government to announce the toll waiver before the expressway’s grand opening.

The demand brings a politically sensitive dimension to the Dwarka Expressway launch, potentially setting the stage for fresh debates over infrastructure development, compensation, and commuter rights in India’s expanding urban corridors.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar